


Emerald Tides

by deep_fable



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mates, Past Domestic Violence, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-01
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2018-04-12 09:46:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 89,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4474658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deep_fable/pseuds/deep_fable
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: Non-Magic: When Harry moves to Forks, Washington, all he wants to do is escape his past relationship and spend a little more time with his father. What he gets instead is entirely unexpected. Edward/Harry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've never done a crossover before, but I've had this idea in my mind for a long time and now I finally have the space to do it. Pairings are the same as in the books, except of course Edward. Minor characters have been replaced with Harry potter characters

Chapter One

“I’ll be fine, mum,” Harry sighed in exasperation and bent down to pick up his backpack. “It’s a direct flight and dad’ll be waiting at the airport for me.”

“Are you sure you want to go though?” Lily worried her bottom lip. “I know you miss him, but we could arrange for more visits and then you wouldn’t have to leave-”

Harry groaned and stood up. He’d heard this argument a million times, and his answers weren’t going to change. He needed a change of scenery, needed to be away from his boarding school and his mum’s incessant worrying. He wasn’t meant for here, wasn’t meant to be in this city or his school where everyone was the same. He didn’t fit into the jock stereotype that seemed to surround all of his peers. He didn’t look the type either, what with his messy back hair, petite frame, and large reading glasses. His mum had tried to switch him over to contacts and he still had a box in his closet for certain occasions. His mother may have given him his emerald green eyes, but the bad vision was all his father. 

“I’m sure,” was all he said though.

“Alright,” Lily seemed to deflate. “We need to leave soon, or you’ll miss your flight.”

Two suitcases were loading into the car and then Harry was driving to his final destination - Forks, Washington - were his father was chief of police of a small, secluded town where there was only one high school and the entire population was less than his boarding school. 

The airport was nearly empty when they arrived and a sobbing Lily helped Harry unload his suitcases and carry then to the large glass doors that marked the entrance to his destination. 

“I won’t ask you to change your mind…” they were standing at the entrance to the terminals and Lily had tears forming in her eyes. “Just make sure to call regularly, okay? Don’t forget to email too, I want to know every detail about this school-”

Harry shook his head with a small laugh, “Alright, mum, I’ll make sure to call as soon as I land, alright?” 

“Okay,” Lily nodded then wiped away a falling tear and smiled at her son. She was devastated to see him leave, but she knew in her heart that this would be the best for her baby. She wasn’t oblivious to his struggles here, his lack of friends and suddenly tentative confidence where he used to be bright and full of laughter. “...okay.”

“I love you,” he wrapped his arms around his mothers small shoulders, another trail he’d inherited from her. As if his body wasn’t feminine enough…

Warm arms squeezed tight around him them he was being pushed off gently towards the doors. “Tell your father that I said hi, okay? And make sure that he’s been eating well, you know how he gets when there’s no one around to take care of him.”

Harry nodded, not trusting himself to speak without causing tears for both himself and his mum. Sometimes he didn’t really understand why his parents had separated when it was clear they still had love for each other. Love wasn’t always enough though, as he learned the hard way, to glue together a relationship that had been breaking from the start. 

He gathered his suitcases and took one final glance back to his mother before stepping past the terminal gates.

The flight was long and boring, and he hadn’t had the foresight to bring any good books with him so he spent the majority of the time reading over the pamphlets they left in the little pockets and sipping from the cup of coffee he’d ordered.

A few hours later though he was arriving in the airport where - yup, his dad was definitely waiting with a large sign covered in what was unmistakably his name in glittery pen. He’d almost forgotten about his dad’s shining enthusiasm in almost all aspects of life, including, apparently, atrocious art pieces.

“Harry!”

Said boy laughed for the first time in weeks and approached his father before strong arms wrapped themselves around his back and pulled him in close - suitcases forgotten behind them.

“Hi, dad,” was all that he could say as he relaxed into his dad’s arms. It had been three years since he’d last seen the man and it caught him off guard how much he'd missed him. James pulled back and held his son at arms length, looking over him critically before grinning exuberantly and grabbing both suitcases.

“You ready to go home?”

Harry’s spirits rose to match his fathers and he nodded eagerly, not even bothering to argue about the suitcases. He followed his dad out to the large glass doors and to a police cruiser which was definitely parked illegally. Well, illegally for everyone who wasn’t a cop.

“Dad!” he scolded but his father simply laughed with a wicked grin and threw the baggage into the trunk.

“What? Picking my only son up from the airport was definitely an emergency!”

“Sure,” he just laughed and shook his head before sliding into the passenger seat. “So how many police offers does Forks even have?”

“We average about four deputies at a time,” James said, sliding into the drivers seat and starting the engine. “Not much crime to fight, really.”

“Ah,” he took the time to look around. It was definitely as rainy here as in London and the grey skies made him feel a little more at home. He could see why his dad had chosen to move here after his marriage had fallen apart. His heart hurt for his dad, he was always smiling so much but he knew it had hurt him, even more knowing that they both still loved each other. There had just been too many differences between them for it to work though. He understood.

His dad was looking good though. He’d aged a bit since he’d last seen him, small wrinkles beginning to gather in the corners of his eyes and his forehead. His hair was still jet black, just like his own unruly mop, and he hadn’t traded in his big glasses for anything smaller or more mature.

“How’s your mom been?”

“She’s good, asked me to say hi for her.”

James hands drummed at the wheel and he looked behind him to check for cars before switching lanes. Seeing him drive on the wrong side of the roads still had Harry’s stomach doing nervous somersaults and he wasn’t excited to have to relearn how to drive opposite. He could just see the carnage now.

“She wasn’t too upset about you coming, right?”

And there was the question he’d been waiting for. “She was a bit sad, but I think she excepted it. She didn’t try to convince me not to, at least. “  
“That’s good,” James looked over and gave his son a quick flash of a smile before turning back to the road. “I’m glad you’re here, care-bear.”

“I was glad, until you called me that!” Harry groaned and covered his burning face. “Could we please just forget about that?”

“Never going to forget,” James chortled. “Still have the picture over the fireplace and everything.”

“Dad!”

“What? You were adorable with the bright pink bear. I think that was the moment I knew-”

“-that I was gay?”

“-what an amazing, wonderful person you would become,” James finished and Harry couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of his throat at his dad’s light teasing. He’d missed him.

“Alright, alright, you can call me that nickname as long as you promise to take down the picture, or at least banish it to a remote shelf in the closet,” he conceded.

James cheered and Harry took the opportunity to fiddle with the radio and turn it onto the first station that had service. They spent the rest of their drive like that, listening to the music and looking out windows. It was a peaceful quiet though, and it gave him a chance to relax after his long flight.  
When they pulled into the driveway they were greeted with the sight of a large rusty truck taking up the majority of the open concrete.

“Perfect, Sirius must off dropped it off while I was gone then,” James smiled and put the car into park before turning to Harry and gesturing to the ancient truck. “Welcome to America!”

Harry honestly loved it, mostly because he knew he was going to look ridiculous driving it. Which brought him to…. “Uh, dad, not that I don’t really appreciate this. Because I do, a lot. I really love it, thanks…but I don’t know how to drive on this side of the road and last time I tried it was-”

“-bad.” James finished the sentence for him with a tiny wince. “I don’t think that yard has looked the same since.”

“Well, I did take out every fixture and managed to get the bumper caught in a tree, so I can imagine.”

James slid out of the car and approached the monster truck before patting the side window. “I’ll teach you how to drive, besides, this thing’s a beast. Even if you do get in an accident you’ll be fine.”

“I’ll be fine, not so sure the other person will,” he mumbled to himself then went to observe the car himself. It was rusty, like it hadn’t been repainted in awhile. The window was slightly dented, so he’d have to be careful with that, but everything else looked good. “I love it!” he declared.

“Perfect! So I’ll drive you to school while you learn, then the truck’ll be all yours!”

Harry sincerely hoped he meant he’d drive him to school in the truck and not the police cruiser but he didn’t say anything, not wanting his dad to get any fun ideas. He walked back to the cruiser and opened to trunk, grabbing one of the suitcases and leaving the other for his dad to get.

The living room was just as he remembered. A large TV was resting on a white TV stand and across from it was a frayed beige couch that was decorated sporadically with colored pillows. What really kicked it for him was the collection of large picture fames taking up space above the fireplace.

“Noooo,” he moaned dramatically, his father cackling behind him.

"They’re cute!”

“They’re horrible! Please please please take them down. You already promised to hide the bear one…”

James snorted and dragged the suitcase through the doorway and tried to wrangle it upstairs. “The care bear one I’ll hide, the rest stay!” he shouted between the soft thuds of the wheels hitting each step.

Harry groaned again, unheard, and followed his dad up to the room the he used to stay in during summers. It hadn’t changed very much, though he noticed that his father had done a few updates like repainting the shutters and fortifying his old desk that had always been a little wobbly and unstable. He’d also replaced his computer and he briefly wondered if that was before or after his desk broke. His rocking chair was still in the corner of the room though, he noticed.

“Feels like you never left,” James said wistfully as he set the suitcase on the floor in front of the bed. “I got you a new comforter. Figured blue would be a good color. I was close to picking pink,” he snickered.

“It’s perfect,” and it matched the fluffy carpet underneath his feet. When he wanted to, his dad could actually be quite good at matching color tones and decorating. When he wasn’t busy chugging beers and fishing. His dad….

James flashed a happy grin and jumped on the bed, bouncing twice before settling. “So I figured we could order in some pizza and watch some movies, get caught up and everything.”

“You don’t have any food in the fridge, do you?” Harry asked with a small laugh and a shake of his head. 

“Nope,” James grimaced. “We’ll go grocery shopping tomorrow, unless you want to live off some freshly caught bass? Because that’s the only thing that I really know how to cook.”

“I’ve got it covered,” he reassured before flipping his suitcase open and beginning to pull out his clothes. Most of this one consisted of fluffy winter jackets and gloves and hats, which he put away quickly with his dad’s help. Then they moved on to the next one, which -

Load laughed made it’s way to his ears and he glared at his father who was currently on the floor, having seen the contents. “Really, son?”

“Professor Wubbles is family!”

“And you want me to take the picture down. Shameless, absolutely shameless,” he mocked, picking up the bright pink care-bear up and setting it down on the rocking chair. “Your mom loved that bear,” he commented.

“I know, it’s the reason why I still have it,” Harry admitted with a fond smile. “When I told her I was leaving she snuck it into my suitcase. Told me that I couldn’t leave without it.”

The rest of the unpacking went by quickly, filled with laughter and funny stories about police station pranks and ridiculous call-ins. When they were finished they retreated downstairs, ordered in a pizza, and sat down to watch a few police comedies. His dad absolutely loved anything to do with police, mostly because he got to make fun of the bad plot lines, but Harry enjoyed them just as much.

It was getting to be a little past midnight when they finally decided to retire and Harry was amazed at how exhausted he was. 

“It’s the jet lag, really gets you,” James commented when he saw Harry stifling a yawn. “Give it a day or two, you’ll adjust to the time.”

“Yea, you’re probably right,” he rubbed at his eyes and offered a sleep goodnight before taking the stairs up to his room. He changed into his pajamas, which consisted of a ridiculously large sweater and a pair of soft boxers, then walked to the neighboring bathroom where he brushed his teeth and splashed water on his face.

He was almost surprised at his reflection. He’d gotten so used to looking in the mirror and finding bruises. Not a lot, not big ones, but there were always the stubborn little smudges that showed up in inopportune places and just refused to leave. He didn’t have any bruises now, hadn’t for weeks, but he still found himself checking the mirror.

“I’m okay,” he said quietly to himself then splashed his face with cold water again before retreating to his room and burrowing under the covers.  
He laid there in bed, listening to the familiar platter of rain drops hitting the ceiling and the wind rusting the tree besides his window before falling into a peaceful sleep, not even noticing when James quietly crept into his room and pressed a kiss to his forehead.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

“Harry!”

He woke with a start and banging his head on his side dressed as he fell over trying to push his covers off. After a few seconds struggle trying to untangle himself, he peaked out above his warm covers and gave his dad a half-hearted glare.

“Sorry,” James grimaced. “Didn’t mean to startle you, I thought you’d already be awake. School starts in 30, figured you’d want breakfast?”

Harry groaned and fell back in bed. “Yea, just give me a minute.”

“Toast good?”

“Toast now, shopping later,” he gave a short huff of a laugh before reluctantly leaving his warm haven and dragging his body to the dresser where he pulled out a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt, getting dressed slowly while his dad walked back downstairs to make food.

A quick room check and he grabbed his phone and a dark green jacket before thudding downstairs. “Please tell me you have coffee.”

“Ah, now that is the one thing I can do,” James looked up from the toaster and pointed to a cabinet that presumably had cups then to the steaming coffee pot that took center stage on the counter. 

“Ugh, thank you!” 

“So I figured I’d drive you there then show you to the officer. They’ll get you situated with your class schedule and show you where to go. You’ve already been enrolled.”

Harry took out a travel-sized mug and filled it with coffee before adding a ridiculous amount of sugar and taking an appreciative sip. 

“Did you need any school supplies?”

“Nope, I have everything that I know of. Might have to make a trip later though.” He took the offered toast and took a large bite before grabbing his bag and gesturing to the door.

“I was thinking you could try to drive to the grocery store. It’s a pretty simple road, not a lot of intersections to get your right and left’s mixed up,” James offered and Harry gave an approving nod before following his dad’s retreating voice out the door.

Please take the truck, he prayed to himself and gave a mental thanks to the heavens when the police cruises was avoided. 

The radio in the car was old and scratchy, but after a few seconds of searching he managed to find a decent enough station that was full off oldies that weren’t quite country but weren’t quite blues or rock. It was an interesting mix. The drive only took a few minutes and it was a pretty route through dense forest land on each side with the occasional ray on sunshine breaking through the rain clouds and giving everything a surreal light-green glow.

When they arrived Harry gave a snort of a laugh. The school was so obviously a school that it was a little bit embarrassing.

“So, that over there’s the office,” James said, pointing to a square gray building that, yup, was clearly and loudly labeled with an “Administrative Offices.”

“Got it,” he wryly smiled and slid out of the car, offering his dad a wave goodbye before putting up his hood against the rain and making his way quickly to the grouping of buildings. There was a front desk inside the office and he made his way there quickly, introducing himself to the bored looking woman sitting at the computer. Her name tag said Minvera McGonagall but he wasn’t quite sure where the inflictions in the name would be so he chose to not address it.

“Hi, I’m Harry Potter? I just transferred here from-”

“Oh yes! James’s son,” The woman looked up with a friendly, albeit stern, smile. “I have your class schedule right here. Your father registered you last week, said you were going into your Junior year?” She handed the schedule and looked expectantly up at him for approval of the class schedule.

Harry just nodded and gave the classes a quick scan. He’d already taken the math course listed, and the English seemed a bit below his level, but he figured the ease of his schedule would give him more time to settle in. If it seemed too easy later, he could always transfer. “Could you maybe show me how to get to my classes?”

McGonagall looked about ready to answer when a timid voice sounded from behind him. “I could show you around, if you don’t mind?”

A shy boy who looked around his age was stepping out of a room labeled as the nurses office. The question was directed at the woman but he nodded in assent too. “Hey, I’m Harry,” he offered in greeting.

“Neville,” the boy gave a soft smile before shyly asking for his schedule. “Oh, we’ve got math together, and History! Plus you’ve got English with a few of my friends. I can introduce you at lunch, if you’d want?”

“Yea, that sounds perfect,” Harry reassured, feeling a bit bad at the nervousness evident in his new friend’s tone.

“You’re English class is this way,” he was led to a tall building where he assumed most of his classes would be in. “Class started a few minutes ago, but it shouldn’t be a big deal.” They stopped at a door printed with large black numbers.

“I can wait here for you after class, that way I can show you to your next? Or you could just ask Hermione to do it. She’s the one with really curly brown hair.”

“Thanks, I’ll just ask Hermione,” he fibbed. He could find his way to his next class easily enough. The organization of the building didn’t seem too difficult. Even numbers of one side, odd on the other, and the stairwells were easily identified. Neville nodded and scurried off, presumably to either return to the nurses office or to go to his own class.

He waited outside the door for a few more seconds before opening it up, cringing inside at the attention it was likely to garner. 

Of course the door opened up in the front of the classroom. 

It wasn’t like he was shy. Like his father, he’d always been a pretty confident person. He wasn’t afraid of speaking his mind when he felt he needed too and he definitely wasn’t a stranger to confrontation. But this was his first day of school, in a town in another country, and he was already going to be starting off as an outcast. He was British, gay, and starting off halfway through the first semester. A dramatic entrance was not exactly needed to make his presence known. His teacher apparently disagreed.

“You’re Harry Potter! The Chief’s son, right?”

“Yup,” was all he managed to say, eyes wide and a little panicked as he scanned over the faces eagerly staring back at him. “I’m British,” he said as way of introduction and cringed inside. Oh dear God, he never used to be this awkward. Oliver had wrecked whatever form of social competency he’d ever had….and now he was thinking about Oliver. Lovely.

“Yes, yes,” his teacher said excitedly. On the schedule it named him as Filius Flitwick. “You can have a seat over there by Hermione. This month we’re covering The Divine Comedy.”

Religion. Perfect. He took a seat next to the girl whom Neville had accurately described. Her hair was rather curly, and wisps kept getting on his desk. She was looking intently at the teacher, hardly giving him an pause at all and he actually appreciated her lack of interest. As soon as the bell to end the lesson rang, though, she promptly turned towards him and stuck out a hand.

“Hermione Granger,” she greeted. “I moved here two years ago, so I understand how hectic being new in a small town can be.”

“Yea,” Harry gave a small laugh. “I’m beginning to see that.” He was getting all sort of stares now that class was out. 

“Must be even harder seeing as you’re, well, you know,” she leaned closer to whisper, “gay.”

Harry spluttered and brought up his hands to cover his flaming cheeks. Jesus! He didn’t mind being called out on being gay, but he’d never had it said so immediately upon meeting someone. “Is it that obvious?”

Hermione gave a small laugh. “Oh no!” She reassured him before pausing with a slightly shocked expression. “Not that it’s bad, of course! We have a few other homosexual people in this school. Not that it’s something that makes them an outcast! We don’t think of them as homosexuals. I mean we do, but we don’t-”

Harry laughed and held up a hand to stop her panicked ramblings, feeling guilty at how funny he was finding her embarrassment. “I know what you mean,” he comforted. “I just didn’t think I was that obviously gay.”

“You’re not,” Hermione’s face was still bright red but her words were coming out slower now and less panicked. “It’s just that the Chief talks about his son a lot, to anyone that will listen. And, you know, small town…”

He was going to kill his father.

They exited the classroom and Hermione, bless her soul, asked if she could show him to his next class - History. “Most of your classes will be in this building, unless you’re taking something like agriculture. Have you gotten your books yet?”

“No, I’m going to make up a list and pick them up from the book room after school.” Hopefully he wouldn’t have too many to get. English looked as if they didn’t need any hard copies. He’d probably need one for math and history. Maybe biology.

They were getting all sorts of looks now, but most of them were friendly enough. They made it about halfway to his next class before they were stopped by an obnoxiously loud girl. 

“Hi! You’re Harry right?” She said brightly.

He nodded once in response, not really wanting to encourage her. Judging by Hermione’s expression, this was not a pleasant girl. 

“I’m Lavender. My great Uncle lives in London! I just love visiting it, the city has so much history and I’ve always dreamed of meeting a man with a British accent…” she sighed dreamily and Harry winced.

“Yea, well, I’ve really got to get to my next class-”

“Oh! I can take you!”

“That’s alright, I wouldn’t want to put you off. Hermione’s already taken me half the way so,” he gave her an apologetic smile and continued to walk, not waiting for a response. Hermione kept pace with him and at his raised eyebrow began to explain.

“Lavender brown. She’s dated nearly our entire class. Not very smart, but pretty enough I suppose,” she said breezily. There wasn’t any disdain in her tone, just some dislike, so Harry figured she wasn’t someone to worry about too much. “Well, here’s your next class!”

“Ah, thanks you very much,” he gave her a smile and opened the door, thankfully early. Only two periods in and he’d already met two friends who seemed nice enough.

The rest of his classes before lunch break passed easily enough. There were only a few people brave enough to approach him in hallways or after class and try to talk. He didn’t want to create enemies on the first day so he was civil with everyone, though he quickly found out which people to avoid and which were friendly enough. When the lunch bell rang, Neville was waiting by the classroom door as he’d promised.

“How’d classes go?”

“Good,” he shrugged. “The coursework doesn't seem too difficult yet.”

“Yea, it’s pretty easy here. Are you buying lunch or did you bring some?”

“Buying,” he answered as Neville lead him through crowding hallways and out the building doors. The rain was still at a constant downpour and he could see why it was so green here. He couldn’t look ten feet without seeing vibrant shrubs and towering trees, all coated in thick layers of moss and flowers. It was beautiful in a surreal way. Almost like there were living in the middle of a magical forest, as cliche as it sounded. He was used to being boxed in by city walls and storefronts and flats.

They got in line to buy food and when they got to the counter Harry picked up a bottle of chocolate milk and a peanut butter sandwich. Neville copied his choices, then he was being led over to a table on the side of the room where he could see three other people already seated. He was happy to see Hermione there, but not so much Lavender.

“Hey,” he greeted the table with a shy smile that was returned but Hermione and the two other people sitting next to her.

“I’m Dean,” the African American boy offered with a slight smirk. “That’s Seamus,” he pointed to the freckles kid sitting next to him. “Rumor has it you’re from London?”

“Well, if the accent didn’t give it away,” Harry said in a teasing tone.

“Are all the boys there as cute as you?”

Harry laughed inside at Lavender's obvious attempt at flirting. Pity she was about to find out he was as gay as they came. “I’ve dated a few cute boys.” Plus one stunning, abusive, jerk.

Lavender was about to respond, presumably along the rest of the table, when they walked in.

“Who are they?” Harry whispered to Neville as he watched the group of beautiful people walk to a secluded corner in the room. They were smirking slightly, as if they’d just heard something funny, and Holy Jesus they were all stunning.

“They’re the Cullen’s,” Dean answered with a frown that Harry perceived as jealousy. “Beautiful, but they’ve got egos to match it. Won’t even talk to anybody just to say hello.”

Rude. Beauty didn’t give anyone an excuse to be an asshole to everyone else. “So how do that many people like, well, that, manage to become friends in such a small town?”

“They’re all related by adoption,” Hermione said knowingly.

He could see it, kinda. There were three boys, one who seemed to tower over the other two. He was huge, at least 6’3 and his muscles were honestly a bit terrifying, at least compared to the sandy haired one next to him. Then there was the third, still strong looking, but in a more subtle manner. He looked more boyish than the others, with messy bronze hair and rounder features.

The two females looked like complete opposites. One was tall, blonde, and looked as if she’d just stepped off a fashion runway. While the other was just as pretty, she had a more delicate air about her that was enhanced by her tiny frame and pixie-cut black hair.

He tried to pull his eyes away, knowing that he looked obvious staring at them. His eyes kept shifting back to the third boy. He wasn’t just gorgeous, it was more than that. He had an air of sophistication, like he had jumped right out of a classical novel.

Just as he happened to be checking him out again for the tenth time, the boy finally looked up and met his gaze dead-on. Harry could’ve cried in embarrassment. Instead, he did the next most logical thing and gave a cheeky wave.

Dark eyebrows went up in surprise and Harry snorted into his chocolate milk and turned away, his cheeks still flushed brightly with adrenaline and embarrassment.

“Did you just wave to the Cullens?” Seamus asked in quiet, shocked awe.

That garnered a frown from him. Surely they couldn’t be that mean and unapproachable that even waving was met with trepidation. “Is the whole family that...mean?” he tested the word out. It sounded wrong. He shouldn’t be calling them names, not when he didn’t even know them. Maybe they’d had a really rough childhood and schools reminded them of it...or something.

“Their adopted dad’s name is Carlisle. He seemed really friendly,” Neville piped up. “I once saw they’re mom at the grocery store too, and she was very kind.”

Ah, and now that was why he liked Neville so much. He was such a sweetheart. 

“Yea, but they’re adopted so…” Lavender said with a tight frown. 

“So,” Harry put his jug of milk down and frowned at the girl. He hadn’t really disliked her until this moment. “Just because you’re adopted doesn’t mean you’re less of a person. I’m sure their parents are very kind people.”

“But they’re not their actual parents,” Lavender tried again, reaching out to lay a manicured hand on his arm. 

“So? They raised them. You don’t have to be genetically related to be a family, that’s ridiculous. I think you get to chose who your family is. My mom and dad are separated by a country and I still see them as my equal caregivers, even though I only live with one of them.”

“Of course!” Lavender backed up quickly. “I didn’t mean to imply anything…”

“It’s fine,” he shrugged her apology off and frowned at his lunch. He hadn’t meant to start any fights, but he just couldn’t stand it when people talked bad about someone who wasn’t there to defend themselves.

“So what class do you have after lunch?” Dean asked in the silence that followed and Harry could’ve kissed him.

“Biology with Snape. He any good?”

“He’s strict, but as long as you listen to lab procedures and don’t try to mix chemicals or anything you’ll be fine,” Hermione reassured him. 

Unable to resist himself, Harry risked another glance up at the table in the corner. To his surprise, half of them had already left without him noticing. Odd, they would’ve had to go directly in his line of vision to leave the building. The only two that remained now was the bronze-haired one and the pixie girl. Aaaand both of them were staring at him. Or at his table. But probably him. He shouldn’t wave again, right? 

There was visible curiosity in the male’s expression, and the girl looked like she’d just been let into a great secret, but neither of them looked outwardly mean or unfriendly. ‘Who are those two,” he whispered quietly at Neville, inconspicuously pointing with his eyes to the remaining Cullen children.

“That’s Edward and Alice. They’re in our year too,” Neville was quiet for a moment before speaking up again. “I like them, Edward especially.”

“He’s handsome,” Harry agreed.

“No, not just that. They’re nice, in their own way. Everyone’s always so quick to judge them, but it’s just because they’re jealous. I just think the Cullen’s are shy or something. They don’t even speak but they aren’t mean either, and I’ve never heard one of them gossiping, not like everyone else here.”

Neville’s voice was passionate and it brought a smile to Harry’s face. “I think you’re right, Neville,” he mused. Maybe not shy, but there was probably a reason other than ego that they apparently didn’t speak much. “But he still is handsome,” he finished with a small snicker. “Pity he’s not gay.”

Edward was now half-turned away from them and the corners of his lips were lifted up slightly as if he’d just heard something particularly amusing. Surely he couldn’t have heard him right? He hoped not, at least. How embarrassing.

Just as he turned to face Neville fully, the two remaining Cullen’s rose from the table and floated away, out the doors of the cafeteria and outside. Without jackets on, apparently. I mean, he was used to cold. He lived in London, he knows what rain and snow and ice are. If he had to, he'd bet that there'd be a pretty hefty amount of snow on the roads soon, judging by how icy they were last night. Going out without a jacket on just seemed miserable. 

“They must be freezing,” he said in awe as he watched them walk around the corner without any apparent stress on their bodies.

“I dunno, they’re originally from Alaska,” Neville supplied. “It’s downright freezing there, they probably got so accustomed to that weather that the rain doesn’t both them.”

“Yea, you’re probably right,” Harry said slowly, twirling the cap in his fingers until the bell rang, signaling it was time for him to head off to biology.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Walking to Biology was a bit lonely as none of his newfound friends were in the same class and Neville had showed it to him beforehand, stating that he needed to be at his own class early. 

It was in the building next door to the Cafeteria, but the raining had increased in intensity and now there were tiny little pellets of ice pelting him as he walked to class. He refused to run and look like an idiot, if everyone else could take the assault so could he. 

When got inside and managed to pass by a mirror he cringed in horror at the sight. His usually fluffy and messy hair was matted down and sticking in odd directions with spare particles of ice clinging stubbornly to the ends. Oh well, at least school was nearly over and his next class was only PE, which happened to come with a change of clothes.

Mr. Snape was standing in the front of the classroom when he arrived, wearing a slick black raincoat even while inside the building. He was frowning and looked quite severe, though he wasn’t outright mean. When Harry approached him he stuck out a hand and gave him a firm handshake.

“If you’d stay after class I can give you a lab syllabus and go over the protocol for practical labs. Today we’ll just be using the microscopes, so there shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Yes, sir,” Harry said with as much respect he could muster, despite looking like a drowned rat. Not a good first impression, but then again, the man seemed more amused than disgruntled that he was making a puddle in front of the door. 

“We have assigned seating. There’s an available seat in the back right corner.”

Harry nodded and walked through the door, only to falter in his steps when he saw that his able already had a person sitting in one of the seats. Of bloody course Edward Cullen would sit next to him. He wasn’t sure if he was lucky or unlucky, but judging on his current appearance he’d have to go for the latter.

The only thing more humiliating than his little trip up was the squeak of his shoes in the silence of the class as he walked his way to the back and set his bag down with a thud next to the seat. He awkwardly expelled a breath of air then slowly sat down in his chair. A drop of water landed on the table, and Harry couldn’t take it anymore and he let out a snort of a laugh. Edward didn’t seem too mean, he had smiled in the cafeteria after all. So maybe it hadn’t been directed at him, but mean people don’t usually make a habit of smiling in such a manner...

Except, when he turned to face Edward to remark on the hail outside, he was met with a pure black glare that stifled any further comments he might have had. An unnaturally pale hand reached up to grip at the edge of the table, and it almost looked as if he’d stopped breathing. He was like marble, solid and still, only the rage in his eyes couldn’t be mistaken for anything lifeless.

Harry reflexively flinched away from the hand movements, his history telling him to be careful of fast movements made in anger. Even as his body froze, his mind erupted into mutinous thoughts. What right did Edward have to be glaring at him? Sure he was soaking wet, but none of the water had even gotten on his side! Plus, it was pouring hard and there was hail and he really couldn’t be blamed for it. He hadn’t even said one word to the boy and yet he was glaring at him as if he’d skinned his puppy, the prat.

He sat up straighter in his chair and kept an eye on Edward from his peripheral vision. He noticed the hand on the table, clenching and unclenching rhythmically as if in tune to the beat of a heart, but after a few more seconds it stopped suddenly. 

Tentatively Harry turned his head. “I’m sorry for being wet, okay?” he finally hissed when he saw that, although the hands had stopped, the glare was still fierce and unyielding. “I can’t exactly control the skies. Do you think I like feeling like a drowned cat?”

“I-” Edwards beautiful expression morphed into one of slight surprise before he took a visible breath than immediately leaned back as if he’d been burned. “It’s fine,” He ground out and his hands were back to being balled into fists.

Slowly people began to file into the class but Harry ignored them in favor of observing his lab partner. Maybe everyone was right and the Cullens really were just huge prats. Edward certainly seemed different from the smiling boy he’d seen at lunch.

Class started off by Snape asking them to uncover their microscopes (Edward got to it before he could) and take out all the slides (which Edward also did) and lay out their lab manual (Harry claimed that one with a glare before Edward could even try).

“You and your partners will be focusing today on identifying different types of connective and epithelial tissues with your partner. Your table will hand in only one lab sheet. Do you understand?”

Everyone mumbled out sounds of agreement as they got to work, pulling out slides and studying them under the machines. Like earlier, Edward didn’t give him a chance to do or say anything before taking control and sliding in the small samples they were given.

“Are you at least going to let me help?” he finally huffed in frustration after something was scribbled on their sheet.

Edward looked up, eyebrows expressing his surprise. “You want to help?” His voice was thick, like he was swallowing back something and Harry gave a cautious nod, not quite understanding the question.

“We are lab partners. As in a two-people partnership. I’d like to do my part, Besides,” he smirked as he slid the microscope closer to him, “I’d like to make sure you’re actually correct before you turn in my grade.”

An actual smile came across Edward’s face at that response and he looked calmer than before, less violent. “I apologize for assuming,” he said formally with a secret smile still playing at his lips.

“Oh...okay?” Now he was really confused. What the hell was up with the random mood swings? One moment he was glaring at him like a mass murderer and now he was apologizing for being rude because he hadn’t let Harry do any work. It was confounding at best. Maybe he had been mad because Harry was wet. He was mostly dry now, so that could explain the new friendliness.

That theory was quickly thrown out the window though when Harry moved to steal Edwards pen and the male flinched back and gripped at his chair with strong fingers. Harry could swear he could see small wood chips being torn out from the chair but that was just crazy. Right?

Well fuck. Maybe he smelled bad? That would explain why he flinched away whenever Harry got close. Plus the rain. Rain makes people smell more strongly, doesn’t it? 

He tried to take an inconspicuous sniff at his armpit under the guise of reaching for a new pencil, but he didn’t smell anything off. He smelled good even! Like a mix the citrus shampoo that had already been in the shower and clean rainwater. “Look, whatever I did to offend you, I’m sorry, okay?” he finally put out after a few seconds of hate-filled glowers. 

He didn’t get a response, though the paper was marginally shifted towards him as if in offering. Harry would’ve taken it as a good sign had Edward not still looked so aggravated. 

The rest of class passed in this manner, with Edward sitting stiffly in his chair and Harry trying to think about what he could’ve done to piss off the beautiful boy. They passed the microscope back and forth after each slide, neither saying anything, until the paper was complete, fifteen minutes early. Then Edward promptly snatched up the paper, scribbled both their names in infuriatingly perfect writing, and delivered the paper to the teacher on his way out the door.

Harry was left sitting in shock at his table. If it wasn’t a smell, and it wasn’t the rain…

Realization hit him like having a bucket of icy water dropped on him. So he had heard him in the cafeteria them. He wouldn’t have pegged the Cullen’s for the type, but people were full of surprises. He grabbed his bag angrily and stormed out of the classroom, fully intending to give Edward a piece of his mind. Where did he think he could get off-

“Hey, asshole!”

Edward stopped from his path to the parking lot.

“Yea, you heard me.” 

Edward slowly turned around to face him but Harry was ready. “You don’t get to judge me for being gay, okay? So whatever bullshit things you’re thinking in your mind, stop. I don’t care if you like me, or even hate me, based on my personality. But you can’t hate me just because I’m gay. It’s unintelligent, and stupid, and I had really pegged you as a smart kind of guy. Thanks for disappointing me.”

“I-” Edward’s beautiful face was morphed into an expression of shock and guilt. The guilt surprised Harry the most. Maybe his parents were religious or something and they didn’t agree...maybe this was some sort of identity crisis. “It’s not because you’re gay,” he finally said, though even these words sounded forced.

“You need to understand. I don’t hate you, Harry,” His voice sounded almost mournful now. Fuck this was confusing. Understand what?

“Well, it sure seems like it,” he finally managed to get out. He had planned out a whole speech on why you shouldn’t hate a person based off a stereotype, and how you can hate the idea of gay but you can’t hate gay people, etc. But all that was ruined now that Edward apparently didn’t hate him.

“I’m sorry.”

“Yea,” well now this was getting awkward, and he was getting re-soaked by all the rain. It had to be getting close to snowing. Edward seemed to be thinking the same thing because his eyes flickered up to the sky then back at him. 

“You should go inside, it’s too cold for you.”

“But not for you?” he pushed but his question was ignored as Edward turned back around and continued walking to his car. Harry stood outside for a few seconds longer before turning to walk to gym. 

“Hey, I’m sorry about that.”

Harry looked up at the soft voice in front of him and gave a confused frown. 

“In biology. I sit two rows ahead of you. Edward can be a real jerk sometimes, it’s not just you.”

Harry wasn’t sure if that made him feel better or worse. “Thanks,” he cleared his throat. “Are you walking to gym class also?”

“Yea! My names Collin, if you wanted to know,” he smiled brightly. “I’m a year younger, but I’m ahead in a lot of classes. They said I tested at a really high level so now I get to be with all the juniors.”

The kids enthusiasm was contagious and soon Harry was smiling and laughing along with him as he helped him get a locker and his clothes. This kid was obviously gay in such an adorable manner that it made his heart melt. Despite just being a year older, he felt protective over the young kid.

“Do you have PE over there in London?”

“Yea, but it’s less sports and more workouts like running. A bit dull, really.”

They changed into their clothes quickly then made their way to the indoor court where their coach and a few other students were already present. “Not dull here though, right?”

Harry laughed. “Oh, no, Collin. Nothing has been dull here yet.” Especially not Edward freaking Cullen.

“You should just ignore him. If he’s mean to you, ya know? Sometimes that’s the easier way to deal with people who are going to treat you badly.”  


Collin was apparently more perceptive than he gave him credit for.

“I don’t know why he looked so angry with you though. I’ve never seen him be that mean. Usually he just ignores everyone. Almost looked like you’d hut him or something.”

Harry snorted at the thought. Not only was Edward a good foot taller than him, but he also looked substantially stronger than him. The only way he could hurt Edward, was if he hired someone to do it for him.

‘I’m not saying you did, of course! I’m just saying he looked so angry,” Collin corrected quickly. “You don’t seem like you would hurt people.”

Harry’s lips twitched upwards and he was about to comment when the coach blew the whistle shrilly. “Split into two groups and grab the balls in the corner!”

Harry’s eyes followed her pointing figure and he nearly groaned. No. No dodgeball. He was already having a bad day, he didn’t need to get pelted by huge rubber balls to make it even more obvious. People were shuffling around so quickly that Harry hardly even noticed when he wound up on one side of gym floor facing a group of mostly boys that were poised to run towards the balls line set up in the middle.

The whistle was blown again and Harry scrambled backwards and to the side so he was relatively hiding behind a group of active players but not close enough that’d he’d get hit by accident. He managed to dodge a few balls that were coming at slower speeds, but when he next looked up there was one hurdling straight to his head at a much quicker pace. He tried to dodge to the side, but in a typically Harry fashion, tripped himself on his shoelaces and went down. To add insult to the injury, the ball still nailed him straight in the face.

“You hit the new kid!” he heard a voice call out accusingly then he let out a broken groan and pressed a palm to his stinging face. Yup, that was definitely going to leave a mark. A painful one too.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry!” He opened his eyes and stood up on wobbly legs, facing an older looking boy whose face was clearly full of guilt. “I was aiming for someone else, that’s why I threw the ball so heard. If I thought it would’ve hit you I would’ve softened it, by, like, a lot.”

“It’s fine,” he waves one hand out reassuringly, even though the other was still pressed to his aching face. 

“It looks like it’s bruising, though. I could take you to the nurses,” he babbled. “yea, you should definitely go get that checked out. I’m Cedric, by the way. In case you need to explain which guy hit you in the face on your first day of school.”

The coach walked over and took one look at Harry’s face before shooing both of them out the door and to the nurse’s office. “Seriously, man, I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Harry gave him a friendly smile. “It’s not like you tried to hit me. Besides, as soon as I saw it was dodgeball I figured I wouldn’t escape unscathed.” Cedric seemed like a nice guy, plus he was cute, and Harry could always use more friends. His head was starting to feel a bit woozy now, slower maybe. “I think the rain’s makin’ me heavy,” he said lightly.

Cedric stopped him and twirled him around so they were facing. Harry’s head protested furiously at the circle-y movement. “Woah,” he breathed out, the spinning movement not agreeing with him very much.

“Hey, are you feeling okay?”

“Yea, just...just let me sit down for a minute.” He slumped down on the sidewalk and closed his eyes. He felt a bit sleepy so he laid down on the wet cement. The chill in the air felt nice against his feverish skin and the rain was starting the die down as well. He was content to just relax into the cold stone when a strong voice pierced his ears.

“What happened? Is he alright?”

He blearily opened his eyes to see a flash of bronze hair above him, then icy cold arms were gripping beneath his knees and his back.

“What happened to his face!” The sharp anger in the voice hurt his head so he gave a protesting moan and turned his face into the chest. 

“We were playing dodgeball, I accidentally hit him a bit too hard. It was meant for someone else, I would never have intentionally hit someone as small as him as hard as I did.”

“I’ve got him, just go back to class,” the velvety voice commanded.

Wait. Harry tried to force his foggy brain to work again. Edward shouldn’t be taking him anywhere, it was Cedric’s job and besides Edward was kinda tense underneath him, like he was trying hard not the breathe in and that probably meant he was still angry. “‘m f-fine,” he tried to mumble as he squirmed against the arms, but they were like prison bars.

“It’s alright, I’ve got you. You look like you might have a minor head injury. I’ll just take you to the nurses and call your father to pick you up.”

How his voice could sound so caring and compassionate now baffled him. Just two hours earlier he’d looked like he wanted to commit homicide and now he was, what, carrying him to the doctor after getting a concussion from a stupid sport.

When he thought about it, it was actually kind of funny in the painful ‘what the hell have I done’ kind of way. He burst into a fit of giggles.  


“Harry?” Now the voice above him sounded even more concerned.

“You were mean to me. I got a stupid concussion playing stupid dodgeball, and now you’re taking me to the nurse.” It was the longest sentence he’d managed to make yet and even though it made his head twinge uncomfortably he didn’t regret it.

“I apologize for being mean.” Well, at least there was that.

The walk to the nurses was surprisingly smooth. It was like Edward was gliding instead of walking. The taller male carried him all the way into the building and to the bed, setting him on it carefully before retreating a few steps. 

“He got hit with a rubber ball and fell down during his gym period. His speech is a bit slurred and his vision seems slightly impaired. I’m guessing a mild concussion,” he commanded with ease as the nurse walked over to him and promptly stuck a thermometer in his mouth. “Slight fever,” she murmured to himself.

“I’ll call his father to pick him up early.”

“That’d be for the best. It looks like he has a very slight concussion that was exacerbated by the cold. Warm him up with some blankets and send him home and he should be alright in a few hours time.”

Before Harry could even blink...or maybe open his eyes, he wasn’t quite sure on that, but anyways, warm blankets were being tucked around him then he could hear Edward talking on the phone in quiet tones. He tried to sit up in bed but immediately realized what a mistake it would be when his head dinged painfully. “Owww,” he groused and collapsed back down. Not even a second later, Edward was back at his side and staring down at him with an expression that almost looked like concern. 

Funny, earlier in biology he could’ve sworn that his eyes had been a dark black but now they looked much lighter. Almost like a honey-topaz. They looked friendlier now, not as deadly.

“Your eyes,” He tried to mumble but Edward shushed him.

“You hit your head, you’re not seeing right.”

The didn’t really sound right to Harry, but he let it go. “My dad coming?”

“He’s on his way. You’ll be excused from the rest of PE today. If you’re still feeling ill tomorrow I’m sure they’ll give you a pass for those classes too.”

“You have a nice voice, when you’re not sounding like you’re about to eat me.” Whoops, that wasn’t meant to come out. 

A soft, velvety chuckle met his ears and he could feel the ghosting touch of a cold hand tilt his head slightly sideways so Edward could look at the remaining red swelling on his cheek and the sizable knot on his forehead. “Your head should feel clearer in a few hours.”

“My ‘ead is clear!”

“Your father’s here.” Harry peered up at Edward’s face and saw that, yup, his eyes were definitely lighter and he was smiling. None of that earlier anger remained on his face, it was like he was a completely different person than before. A few seconds later the wooden doors to the nurses wing were being banged open and his father marched in.

“Harry? You okay?”

“Fine! M’fine, just a little hit. Edward took me to the nurses and now I’m fine. See?” he tilted his head in his dad’s direction so the chief of police would be able to see his relatively undamaged skin.

“That’s one hell of a bump, but you don’t look too damaged. I have to thank you, Edward, for helping him. Lord knows what would’ve happened if you hadn’t intervened. Probably would’ve insisted on trying to walk here himself.”

“It was no problem, sir.”

Yea, he would be the type of guy to call everyone “sir” and “ma’am.” What a suck-up.

“It would probably be better for me to carry him to the car,” Edward suggested next but Harry shot up again, ignoring the pain. 

“I can walk!” He insisted.

“You’re not walking,” both males said at the same time. Harry scowled at his lab partner in what he thought was a superbly angry expression. 

“Prat,” he hissed.

“Harry,” his father admonished at the same time that the beautiful boy laughed in the face of his fury. 

“It’s fine, Chief Potter. We’re friends,” he smiled crookedly before picking Harry up for the second time that day and following the police officer through the door. Harry could’ve sworn that he felt his heart miss a beat at the word “friends.” God, how embarrassing.

He pressed his flaming cheeks against Edward’s cold chest and resolved to himself that he was definitely skipping school tomorrow. What the hell was wrong with him, falling for someone who clearly had some type of bipolar disorder.

“Lots of fluids and let his brain rest from any stressful situations. My father deals with concussions on a daily basis, and that’s typically his recommendation.”

“Got it,” James nodded before gesturing for Edward to sit him in the passenger seat. “Really, Edward, we appreciate it.”

Edward’s lips twitched upwards in a smile, “anytime.”

When they got back home James practically pranced on him. “So, this Edward….”

“Dad, no,” Harry hissed. “Besides, I’ve got a concussion and my head still feels off. I can’t talk about boys while my heads not right.”

“So he is a boy, to talk about,” he father fished but Harry just glared.

“Okay, okay, care-bear. You just lay right here and I’ll bring you a glass of water. Do you think you’ll be up for shopping an about an hour?”

An hour should be fine, his mind was already starting to clear up and as soon as he popped some Advil he was sure the pain would go away, “sounds good.”

“Maybe leave off driving for another day.”

“Yea,” he yawned. Maybe by the time he woke up this whole Edward thing would be resolved.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

James and his time estimate turned out to more or less correct, and once the hour had ticked by Harry was gingerly rising from the couch.

“You’re face looks better,” James commented, peeking around the kitchen wall. Taking note of what they already had in the house, if Harry had to guess. 

“It feels better,” he groaned and laid back against the arm rest. “My mind’s a bit fuzzy on what happened though, I know Cedric hit me on the head and then-“ Realization filled his mind and he flushed and groaned, hitting his head against the firm fabric. “No no no, please tell me Edward didn’t really carry me…”

“Sorry, honey,” James smirk told him enough. “Seemed you were pretty out of it too, kept talking about how Edward’s eyes were changing. I believe the word ‘prat’ was thrown in there a few times as well.”

Ah, the eyes….

His head hurt to much at the moment to try to discern fact from fiction. Plus, the less he talked about it the less questions his overeager father would have. “Lemme just go get changed, then we can go to the store.”

He drowsily rose from the couch, taking the comforter with him and dragging it upstairs to his room.

He took the time to examine himself in the mirror, tilting his face at all angles to try to get a good angle. The swelling looked as if it had gone down - at the very least it wasn’t bright red - and his bump was no longer the size of an egg. Still noticeable, but he’d take it. Other than that, he looked unremarkably normal. Shaggy black hair, pale skin…but there were no bruises under his eyes anymore and he felt…brighter.

He gave a short, barking laugh. Ironic how he could get nailed in the face by a ball, get a concussion, and still feel better about life than when he was in London. Maybe it had to do with the few friends he’d already made - Hermione and Neville were already making out to be some of his best. Then there was Edward….the prat who happened to also be a not-prat who’d carried him to the nurses. “Fuck Edward,” he muttered to himself petulantly then stomped to him dresser and pulled a soft pullover his head.

“Yea, fuck Edward,” James repeated cheerfully and Harry jumped at the sudden entrance. 

“Sorry, you were just taking awhile so I wanted to make sure your head wasn’t hurting.”

Harry nodded in acceptance at the explanation and started down the stairs. 

“So do you want to tell me why Edward seems to be getting a fair share of your curses?”

Harry was surprised by how much he kinda did want to talk, “Maybe later?”

“Hot chocolate and story time? I’ve got a pretty good one about the latest station pranks…”

They climbed into the car and Harry shook his head affectionately, “Sounds great,” then he quieted down, wanting to observe how James drove. Maybe he could get used to the roads so when it was his turn it wouldn’t be a complete disaster. James seemed to catch on to his thought process, and so they spent the few minutes of the car ride in peaceful silence.

The grocery store was only a few blocks away from the high school, would would be useful if he needed to pick anything up after school. James had made a list for them of what they already had in the house…which consisted of flour, salt, oil, and eggs. Sad.

“So…uh I don’t typically go shopping-“

“-I’ve got it,” Harry nodded with a smirk and smoothly took over pushing the basket, leaving his dad to trail behind him with puppy-like curiosity.

Shopping didn’t take too long, due to the limited options in the small market. They got all the basics, though, and enough for dinner for the next two weeks. Plus hot chocolate, and copious amounts of coffee. He had a feeling he was going to need it.

____

“So…Edward…”

“Stupid.”

James laughed, “Fine then, how was school?”

Harry made a face and took another drink.

“Oh, come on, surely it couldn’t have been that bad? Except for the whole PE thing…”

Harry snorted into his drink and shook his head. “Nah, it was fun. I met some friends already. Neville Longbottom and Cedric Diggory, oh, and Colin Creevey!”

“Colin….he’s a year younger, right?”

A year younger, and completely adorable. “He is, he’s cute. Reminds me of an overeager puppy. I could see him as a younger brother.”

“His family is pretty well known in town, they do all the professional photographs for the town. Oh, and did you know that Cedric’s father coaches the football team? We’d been on a solid losing streak before he took over…now we’re not the best, but we’ve definitely gotten better.”

Harry could definitely see Cedric in sports. He had thrown that ball remarkably hard… And he was nearly positive he’d seen Colin with a camera…

They talked like that for awhile, avoiding the topic of Edward and just enjoying the night until all the hot chocolate and run out and Harry was stifling his yawns. “Do you mind if I go up to bed? I think my heads still a bit…”

“Dented?” James supplied with a smirk. “Sure, shower stuff is in the cabinets if you need to take one. There’s extra towels on the racks too.”

Harry took the stairs one by one until he reached his room. He debated for a few minutes on whether or not to take a shower, before deciding to just get it over with. He figured it would rain tomorrow anyways so a shower in the morning would be pointless, as he’d be re-soaked by first period….and then Edward could glare at him again for the great crime of being wet. In the rain. In the wettest place of the continental U.S. Stupid prat….

Who the hell couldn’t even decide if they liked someone, anyways? If he hated him so much he should’ve just left him to sleep on the cement. He hadn’t needed him to carry him to the nurses, he would’ve made it, then stupid Edward wouldn’t have had to waste his stupid time.

He sat on the cool tiles of the shower, leaning against the solid wall. Why did he even care if Edward liked him or not? It wasn’t as if they’d even started out as friends. From the moment he’d sat down Edward have been glaring and scowling. He was only worried because he didn’t want to start anything. Who knows if Edward would tell all his family then it could become a fight and he wouldn’t last one second against any of them, especially not the big, muscle-y one. His dad didn’t need any drama, and he didn’t need any bruises.

But then again, Edward really didn’t seem to be the violent type. Sure, it had looked as if he was trying to grind the desk into pieces, but he’d also shown some other stuff too. If he was so angry why didn’t he just leave him on the ground? And why had he looked so guilty when he’d yelled at him?

Fuck, maybe it really was his family? Maybe they were really against gays and even though Edward wasn’t, he had to pretend to be. But Neville and said that his parents seemed really kind, and he trusted the sweet boy’s judgements. 

He groaned and softly let his head thud against the tiles before reluctantly standing. Tomorrow, he resolved. Tomorrow he’d confront Edward about the whole stupid thing. He shut off the water and wrapped a fluffy towel around himself before walking to his room.

He shivered as he stepped up to his bed and drew down the covers. The window was open, creating a fierce chill in his room and he walked over and shut it firmly, frowning at the frame. He’d thought he’d closed it the night before, but James must have opened it while he was napping. He barely bothered to get dressed in boxers and a sweater before climbing in under the covers.

Like before, the rain created a soothing rhythm against the ceiling, luring him into a deep sleep that wasn’t disturbed by angry classmates and cute dodgeball players.

_____

Harry’s earlier predictions turned out to be right, and when he woke up the next morning, it was to the bright sheen of ice on his windows. “Noooo,” he groaned and stumbled out of bed to look outside. Snow. Everywhere.

“Why,” he hissed to himself as he reluctantly walked over to his drawers and pulled out the warmest clothes he could find. He had made plans for today, and those plans hadn’t included snow. How was he supposed to confront Edward if he couldn’t even get to him without falling on his arse?

He tugged on a thick pair of jeans then layers a jumper on top and finally a black rain coat over. He didn’t really have any appropriate shoes, London didn’t snow much and if it did there was always enough foot traffic to stamp to snow down. If he fell in front of Edward….

He ran his hands through his hair and groaned. Today was going to suck. He trudged downstairs and grabbed the a mug of coffee that his dad had already prepared for him. Smart man.

“Ready for school?” James smirked and Harry grimaced.

“Maybe if you fall, Edward will help you up again.”

At hearing that, Harry looked up past his fringe and sent his father a fierce glare. “No,” was all he stated. James just shook his head what Harry could discern as amusement and grabbed his car keys.

Driving to school was a little slower since everyone was more cautious, but they still managed to arrive there early. 

Walking to his first period class was a little like hell, but he eventually made it without embarrassing himself. That luck managed to continue until his final period before lunch, and then when lunch time came Harry was feeling so brave and confident, he made a promise to himself to just march right up to the Cullen’s table and drag Edward out by his ear. 

Except, when he made it to the cafeteria Edward was no where to be found. His siblings were all there, looking as beautiful as always, but his lab partner was no where in sight. 

He was shocked by the sharp pain of disappointment in his gut. It was only because he’d wanted to confront him though, he convinced himself. He certainly wasn’t excited to see the boy, only to yell at him. And it was natural to feel disappointed when you’d planned your day around yelling at someone, and they were conspicuously not there to be yelled at.

“You coming, Harry?” Neville asked curiously and Harry tore his eyes away and nodded. 

It turned out that Edward wouldn’t return for lab either, or school the next day, or the next. It also turned out that those first few periods of surprisingly nimble feet would disappear from his as well.

By the end of the week, Harry’s arse was covered in bruises and Edward has still not returned, and every day when he wasn’t sitting at the table brought a new round of disappointment.

It wasn’t until Monday that Harry finally saw Edward again, and the chit had to pick the best time too.

“Hello.”

Harry’s head jerked up in shock but an icy hand halted his movements. “Careful now, you had a concussion just a few days ago. Jerky movements aren’t good for the healing.”

Harry stared unintelligently up at his lab partner. “Wha-“ 

“I want to apologize for the way I treated you last week. I wasn’t feeling the best.”

“Oh,” Harry swallowed and drummed his feet against the back of his cafeteria chair. As soon as his traitor friends had seen Edward at the table, they’d veered off and picked another one. Rude.

“What was wrong with you,” he finally asked. Confusion was swirling around his mind. So Edward was just in a grumpy mood because he was sick? It made sense, and he had been gone the rest of the week. 

Edward flashed a bright grin at him, “Food poisoning,” he said simply and Harry was mesmerized by his eyes.

“They’re light again,” he blurted out.

“Hmm?” Edward said distractedly as he took Harry’s plate of food and pushed it towards him. 

“Your eyes were black that first day, but they’re light again. Do you wear contacts?” He knew he hadn’t been imagining it in the nurse’s office.

A smooth chuckle met his ears, “Eat please, Harry, else I fear you’ll be distracted in biology.”

Harry narrowed his eyes but obligingly picked up an apple and took a bite. “Eyes?” he prompted.

“Perhaps it was just the lighting,” was his only answer and Harry could’ve hit him over the head. “Anyways, I just wanted to come here to apologize. I didn’t mean to hurt you with my abrasive actions. If you give me the chance, I promise I’ll act like a gentleman.”

“Hmm,” Harry arched an eyebrow. Things just weren’t adding up in his mind. Why would food poisoning make him act so angry and disgusted? “I don’t understand,” he finally confessed.

Edward stayed silent so Harry risked a peek into his eyes and what he was there made his head ache a bit. There was no longer any anger or disgust, just sadness and something else that he couldn’t quite discern. He reached out to touch a hand, but it was yanked away as soon as he got close. 

“Why?” Harry demanded, now feeling more hurt than angry. “Do I really disgust you that much? You said it’s not cus’ I’m gay, but obviously it’s something.” He felt close to throwing a temper tantrum, as childish as it sounded.

Edward looked even more pained at that, if it was possible.”It’s not-“ he broke off and closed his amber eyes before opening them again. “I don’t hate you.”

Harry scowled at him, “Then what? I don’t understand.”

“No, you couldn’t,” Edward murmured sadly. 

If there was one thing he hated, it was when someone undermined his intelligence. “Try me,” he challenged.

“You’re from London, correct?”

“Yea?”

“Your father, James, lives here though.”

Avoidance techniques apparently. “Yup, so now I’m living here and trying to figure out just who the hell Edward Cullen is.”

“Don’t.” Edward’s voice was hard and cold and Harry almost flinched from the change of attitude. Almost as soon as it happened though, it was over and Edward’s eyes softened again. “Please excuse my outburst.”

“No,” Harry said plaintively, and surprisingly, instead of becoming angry, Edward just let out a quiet laugh.

“You are quite the spitfire, aren’t you?” he murmured with clear amusement still sparkling in his eyes. 

“It’s an acquired taste,” He reassured Edward who was still observing him with striking eyes. Harry couldn’t quite stop the fluttering feeling in his chest as the gaze and he blushed brightly and looked away, not missing the sudden stiffening of Edward’s body. 

“I believe it,” Edward answered smoothly. “How is the snow treating you?”

Harry could’ve laughed at the change in conversation. Weather….nice.

“I don’t think my body will ever recover from the bruises from falling, but other than that…” he said lightly, hoping to bring a little more of the melodically laughter into the conversation. 

His comment made Edward tense even more though, if it was possible. “Have you hit your head again?” and even Harry couldn’t miss the intense concern in his gaze.

He gave a half shrug, “Sometimes, not too bad though.” The concern was making his chest feel a little fuzzy but he relentlessly beat that down.

“How hard?”

Harry scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion at the urgency in the smooth voice. “I dunno, there was only one time where it actually hit hard-“ before he could finish his sentence there was a shockingly icy hand cradling the back of his head and pressing into sore points. 

“Ow!” he complained and tried to flinch away from the appendage. “Stop, you brute,” he protested.

As if shocked by his own behavior, Edward quickly withdrew his hand and held it behind his back. “My apologizes, I was simply checking for any evidence of damage.” 

Whatever had just happened, it was obvious it was over from the firm frown marring Edward’s face and the way he was tensing up as if he just wanted to bolt away. “Class is in a few minutes, shall I walk you there?”

“Don’t sound too eager there,” Harry said wryly at the painfully formal tone. “You don’t have to walk me there, I think I’ll be fine on my own.”

Edward’s face became painful looking again, is if he were fighting an internal battle. “We’re going to the same place, it would be more logical if we walked together.”

Harry snorted then rose from his chair to throw his tray away. “Sure thing, Spock,” he turned around to flash a grin in Edward’s direction before starting off on his way to their Biology classroom.

“I fear I have little in common with Spock,” Edward said casually when he caught up.

“Oh?”

“What I’m doing…there is little logic at all.”

“And what are you doing, Edward?” Harry stopped walking and faced the obnoxiously vague boy. “What is this? Because I can’t understand why you’re being cruel one minute then kind the next.”

“I shouldn’t even be here,” Edward murmured mostly to himself as he closed his eyes then began walking. 

Harry felt hurt balloon inside him and he angrily willed away the tears that were building in his eyes. Stupid Edward. “Because I’m gay,” he stated with defeat.

“Because I’m not good for you. I’d hurt you.”

“I’ve been hurt before,” Harry growled. "And I doubt you could do as much damage as him…” The mention hurt him, but strangely not as bad as Edward’s clear dislike. Fuck, this was bad. He felt the urge to jump in a hot shower or perhaps just beat the thoughts out of his head. 

Edward smiled without humor and shook his head. “I am dying to know…what are you thinking?” he asked as he held open the door to biology for Harry to walk through.

“I’m thinking about whether or not you have a bipolar disorder,” Harry said innocently. “Or maybe even multiple personalities.” He was also thinking about how attractive Edward was…and how sweet he could be…and what it would be like to-

He cut off his thoughts with another blush and determinedly stalked to the back of the classroom and took a seat, pretending that Edward hadn’t just taken a seat next to him and was currently staring at him with an embarrassing intensity. 

“Why’d you move to Washington?” 

Great, another question. “I don't know, just stuff. Plus, I missed my dad and wanted to see him. It’s not fair for him, ya know? that my mother got to keep all her friends and she got the kid too.”

“Ah, what other stuff?”

Harry turned around and lightly flicked Edward’s nose. “That’s for me to know and everyone else to never find out,” He chirped with a light grin, trying to hide the fact that the flick and actually kinda hurt his fingers. What was he, made of stone?

Edward seemed shocked that Harry had dared to flick his nose. His eyes were wide and unblinking, a soft crease taking up his forehead, before his expression abruptly lightened and he gave a blinding smile that tugged at Harry’s heart strings. 

“So your mother then, may I inquire about her?”

Harry shrugged and picked up the paper that had been set down detailing their assignment. “She's lovely, it was difficult leaving her but I think she'll do fine. Probably have some extra time to meet up with friends too now that I'm gone.”

“Are you close with your father?”

Harry frowned at the continued questions then moved to unwrap the microscope, but Edward beat him there. “Why do you want to know?”

Edward seemed to struggle with the answer to that. “I…don’t know,” he murmured.

Just one straight answer….just one. That was all he was asking. “Hmm…” 

Edward took the paper gently from his hands then began to read through the assignment. Harry narrowed his eyes as the clear assumption that Edward was going to do the assignment alone. If he wanted to play that way…he scooted his chair closer to lean over his shoulder so he could read as well, but Edward abruptly stiffened and leaned away. 

Harry sat back against his chair with a thud. “Do I smell bad?” he demanded with exasperation. He didn’t know how much more he could take. 

Edward set the paper down on the table then turned to face Harry again with unreadable eyes. “That depends on what you mean…”

Harry just stared at Edward, not willing to back down or let him try to avoid the question. If he smelled bad, he had the right to know.

There was a few solid seconds of silence before Edward looked away and began to line up the slides. “I enjoy the way you smell, a bit too much.”

That response had a blush attacking his cheeks again so Harry averted his eyes and cleared his throat. “Ah, sorry?” he squeaked.

“Anaphase,” Edward said calmly, passing the microscope to Harry. “I suppose you want to check?”

Still in slight shock, Harry pressed his eye to the little film and nodded in agreement. “Next slide, please.”

Edward handed it to him without conversation and Harry tried to calm his anxious thought. What the hell did Edward think he was doing telling him he smelled nice? Was the hell did that even mean? He’s made it clear that he’s not attracted to males. Was he just fucking with him?

That thought made his limbs grow cold. Was this just a joke? What if he was just toying with his feelings, making him like him just so he could hurt him later? He couldn’t handle another situation like that…couldn’t be hurt again. He finished his slide numbly then pushed it towards Edward without looking, hands busy scribbling down the answer before Edward had a chance to check.

Fuck, fuck, fuck this was bad. What if kept swirling around him mind, bringing him back to his time in London. That wasn’t going to happen here, not again.

“Partner?” he heard Edward ask in concern. “Is there something wrong?”

“Just thinking,” Harry forced a smile on his face. 

“Oh?” Edward raised an eyebrow in curiosity, microscope lay forgotten. “About what?”

“Just stuff,” keep the answers vague, then nothing bad can happen.

“Stuff, as in the stuff that happened in London that isn’t to be talked about?” Concern was evident in his voice and Harry faltered. How could he be planning something so mean and yet be so kind and concerned at the same time? He was going to go crazy if kept thinking this way…

“I don’t know what to make of you,” Harry finally confessed. “Are you planning on hurting me later? Why are you being nice?”

Edward’s concerned expression grew even more noticeable, but Harry could also see that he was still holding himself stiff as if he wasn’t quite sure what to do. “Like I said, I don’t know,” he admitted.

“You don’t know why you’re being nice, or you don't know if you're going to hurt me later?” Harry responded flatly. 

Edward hesitated in his answer. “I would never hurt you, never intentionally,” he finally said then he looked away and closed his eyes. He went still, and Harry could’ve sworn he wasn’t even breathing, but then as soon as the moment came on it disappeared and Edward turned back to face him with an expression full of guilt. “This…this is wrong. I shouldn’t be-“

“Talking with me?”

“Yes," Edward ground out. “You don’t understand…It’s wrong for me to be…”

Harry stiffened. Talking to him was wrong, apparently, and still Edward denied it was about him being gay. “If I disgust you that much then just stop,” and fuck, there is was again, the tears building in his eyes. Edward was a jerk, pretending to be interested and concerned one minute then telling him the next that it was wrong and bad to be talking to him.

If anything, Edward looked even more panicked and guilty at the sight of his eyes filling with tears. Served the bastard right, he didn’t get to be intentionally cruel without dealing with the consequences. “I’m sorry,” he practically moaned, “I don’t intend to hurt you, pain is what I’m trying to prevent.”

Harry bit his lip then nodded briefly, trying to blink away the approaching tears. He felt a cold hand reach out to touch his, and when it made contact they both flinched at the reaction. It felt like an icy current had ran up his arm and filled each nerve with an indescribably sensation. Looking at Edward, it appeared that he felt the same. Rain apparently did make static more conductive.

“I’m sorry,” Edward apologized for the millionth time.

“Stop apologizing, it didn’t bother me,” Harry insisted, feeling aggressively annoyed with the constant apologies and the tears that were obscuring his vision.

“It did me,” Edward admitted.

“Because I’m gay,” Harry guessed dully again, not expecting the sudden lurch as Edward dragged his seat closer so he could glare at him. Woah, that was unexpected.

“Not because you’re gay,” he growled out and Harry was shocked at the anger in his voice. “I would be the biggest hypocrite if that bothered me.”

Harry thought on that for a few seconds before raising his eyebrows in shock, “You’re-“

“It bothered me because I liked the touch more than I should have, and if I had the choice I’d do it again.” and with that being said Edward stood from his chair and grabbed his bag, his back a perfect line as he walked away from the table and out of the classroom. And their lab was only half done. Chit.

He managed to get the rest done early, so he left the classroom, still staggered over what had happened. So Edward was gay…and didn’t hate him? Or hated him because he was gay. The urge to throw a temper tantrum faded with the new idea of curling up under a blanket and trying to figure out what the hell all of this meant. Stupid Edward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thinking about doing a chapter in Edward's POV next, so wish me luck! Never done anything like it :)


	5. Chapter 5: Edward's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short little interlude about Edward's POV and his interactions with his family, since that's always been a point of interest for me.

Chapter 5:

Edwards POV:

“I like him!” Alice chirped as she circled around him to cut him off before he could walk through the doors. “Esme would love him too, you know. And Emmett…”

“Enough,” Edward ground out. It wasn’t acceptable what he was doing, none of it was. 

“You could turn him,” she continued, softly now. Her thoughts were nearly unreadable now, and Edward could only catch flashes of images of him and Harry together…of Harry alone…Harry, Harry, Harry….

“Alice.”

“Stop, Edward. Please, just think this through…I’ve seen it. I know it can work, if you would just get your head out of your ass-“

“You’ve seen it?” Edward snarled back. By this point the rest of the family had gathered in the den to watch their spat. “Tell me what you’ve seen, Alice. Death? Seduction? Tell me which would be better for the poor babe!”

“Are we still talking about him?” Rosalie rolled her eyes from the edge of the couch. “Just kill him already, or don’t. I’d be happy to do it for you.”

“No one is touching him!” Edward paced the floor, feelings of aggression and violence stirring within him. This was going too far….way too far. 

Rosalie’s thoughts were shouting at him about the wrongness of the situation, as if he didn’t already know. Jasper’s too were vaguely disapproving, but what killed pained him the most were Alice and Emmett’s. 

“Come on, Eddie, so you like the human. I don’t see the problem here,” Emmett was frowning, a rarity in itself, but Edward couldn’t focus on that now.

Esme spoke up now, her soft voice commanding the room easily. “Alice, what do you see?” 

Edward closed his eyes desperately.

“I see a few different outcomes…” Alice started off hesitantly. “First one, he kills Harry, but we’ve already passed the timeline for that. Or I see Edward…seducing him. I can also see a third outcome, which Edward is hell-bent on ignoring, one that doesn’t end badly for Harry.”

“Everything would end badly for him!” How could they even think that any of this would be acceptable? He would never put the innocent human in harm’s way, he was much too precious for that.

He felt Esme’s soft hands touch his shoulders, “Edward, clearly you feel something for him. What’s the harm in becoming at least acquaintances?”

He wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop at just friends…that was the dilemma. Everything about him called to him, his blood, his personality, his looks. All of it enraptured him. He was becoming obsessed. He was obsessed. 

“If you’re going to kill him, the sooner the better,” Jasper interrupted and once again Edward felt a tantamount rage build inside him. 

“I’m not killing him!” he snarled. That much was true, at the very least. He would allow no harm to come to Harry Potter. “And I’m done discussing this.” He twisted away from Esme’s arms and started towards the door, intending to get some air outside and possibly hunt before he next saw the beautiful human.

He could still hear the thoughts from inside, everyone ranging from thoughts of death to inviting Harry to the family. The latter came from the expected members - Alice, Esme, Emmett, and Carlisle. Rosalie, on the other hand, clearly wanted nothing to do with him. Jasper was neutral.

Unwittingly, Edward found his path to be carrying him towards the sheriff’s hours. It was dark now, they would probably be just inside in the living room, or perhaps Harry’s bedroom. It took all of his willpower not to creep to the tree and check. He moaned quietly and sped off in the other direction, intent on finding a mountain lion or bear to take down.

Why did the little one have to be so god-damned cute? Everything he did, even when he was being infuriatingly negative about himself, made him want to just just take him and hide him away. How Harry could ever think that he hated him…He wished he hated him, it would make his decision so much more easy. 

And to think he had been angry because he was gay! It was laughably crazy. How hypocritical would he have to be to hate another because of their preference…when he could hardly close him eyes without imaging Harry underneath him. It was completely agony of the best kind. Could this work? Was it possible? Esme seemed so sure, but then again she had always been the more positive of the family.

He hunted down his prey easily enough, but it still couldn’t satisfy his raging thoughts. He was in purgatory, neither able to harm the human he’d come to care for nor accept him as a potential mate. 

He needed Carlisle’s advice, though he knew what the elder vampire would say. 

“You could turn him.”

Edward looked up at the sound at the voice. He’d managed to make his way to home, or more specifically, Carlisle's office.

“I could never damn his soul, he’s far too precious for that.”

“So you still believe then that we’re soulless?” Carlisle smiled wryly and motioned for Edward to take a seat at his grand oak desk. “In the decades since I’ve turned you, I’ve never seen a single person hold your interest. Not Rosalie, who was specifically chosen for you. Nor any of the females in the Denali Clan. Yet this human has managed to captivate your interests.”

“I’m becoming a predator…”

“You’re falling in love,” Carlisle corrected gently and Edward flinched back from both the words and the accompanying thoughts.

“Vampires can’t love,” Edward shook his head painfully. 

“Vampires don’t have a normal range of emotions such as human’s do. We do form familiar connections, however, with our chosen families and mates.”

‘Just think on it, son’

He’d done enough thinking, and each time with the same conclusions. One: he was falling for a tiny, clumsy, insignificant, and indescribably amazing human. Two: any outcome from this point forward could only end one two ways, and that was something that he preferred not to dwell on.

When he left Carlisle’s office it was with an off sense of hope. Maybe…just maybe this could work. Emmett clearly accepted it, judging from his excitable thoughts about how they were going to have a clumsy human in the house. Esme too, seemed content with the potential addition, already making plans about stocking the bathroom with soap and towels and the kitchen with food. Alice was possibly the most excited, though it was a tie between her and Emmett. Currently, she was singing the alphabet to keep him out of her mind, but every so often he’d see her dart into his room and stare speculatively at the walls before darting out, the process continuing for a number of times before finally the movements stopped. 

Rosalie was fuming in her room, her thoughts raging from angry that Edward could possibly think to interfere with a human, to anger that he was getting all the attention. It didn’t take much to tune her out though, not when the house suddenly seemed so lively. It was as if everyone seemed to brighten up at the mention of something new in their lives. Perhaps it was just the excitement that he’d finally showed interest. He knew it was hard for Esme and Carlisle when the rest of the family had found their mates. 

Carlisle was right when he’s said that no one else had ever held his interests before. He knew Esme had always feared that he’d end up alone, no mate, while the rest of them found love.

It wasn’t until later in the night, when Alice had retreated to the den grinning brightly with Harry’s name firmly imprinted on her mind, did Edward realize that they were treating this as if Harry was already a part of their family. As if he’d made his decisions, or even knew whether Harry would accept it or not. It took another few minutes after that to realize that it was the thought of Harry not accepting him that made his dead heart hurt inside his chest.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the super long delay, but here's an extra long chapter to hopefully make up for it. Also, thank you for all the reviews and Kudos, they definitely inspire me to write more :)

Chapter 6:

Harry clutched the wheel of the car tightly in his hands. This was going to be his first time since the disaster trying to drive in America. It wasn’t the driving he was worried about, he was quite proficient. He was worried about getting his rights and lefts mixed up and ending up driving on the wrong side of the road. And from the way things were going so far, it was definitely a possibility. 

“Take a right here - other right….other right!”

Harry winced and looked in the rear view window, thanking every god he could think of that James had taken him out to a relatively deserted road where there was no one to watch him struggle. They were planning on getting him adjusted to the roads, then they were going to try for the grocery store…hopefully without any accidents.

“At that next turn-off in the road you’re going to turn left, got it?”

Remember to turn into the far lane he reminded himself. Far lane = no car accidents…

He repeated that mantra in his head as he continued along the forest-line road. He was paying such close attention to his internal thoughts that he almost missed the turn. Thankfully, James panicked yells managed to catch his attention, only for him to, of course, turn into the wrong lane. Right into a silver volvo…

He looked over with panicked eyes only to find his father in the passenger seat, head in his hands with soft groaning sounds coming out from below the fringe. He gave himself a few more moments of speechlessness before quickly opening his door and stumbling out of the car, feet slipping on ice for a few seconds before he finally managed to right himself.

When he finally looked up, he could’ve died right on the spot.

“I am so sorry, Dr. Cullen, I’ll be issuing a ticket right away,” James said formally, obviously trying to not laugh at Harry’s obviously horror-stricken face.

“Don’t worry about it,” the doctor said calmly with a gentle smile on his face. “No harm done, at least not to us. Harry?”

“You didn’t hit your head, correct?”

And of course Edward had to be present. 

He licked his lips slightly then shook his head again. 

“You’re absolutely positive?”

Harry nodded once more. His face was definitely bright red by this point. Only in his world could he manage to nearly crash his car into the Cullen’s. And not only with Edward and his father, but apparently the whole family that was now getting out of the vehicle to watch the interaction with clear humor written all over their faces. Harry as never going to live this down.

“He’s still trying to learn his rights from lefts,” James continued, face red from holding in his laughter. “Real work he is.”

“I’m not the one who drives backwards. You lot do!” he finally raised his voice in protest. “Bloody roads are all backwards.”

Edward chuckled, the smooth tone relaxing him a bit. “It’s truly no problem at all, partner,” His smile was doing ridiculous things to his heart…

“So you’re Edward then…”

“Shut it!” Harry hissed to his dad who was clearly having just too much fun.

“I am Edward,” said boy nodded with a sudden smirk. “Harry and I here are biology partners.”

“Yes, we are. Perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow at school?” Edward had the gall to laugh at the clear attempt to escape. Prat…

“Of course. Enjoy the rest of your day,” he nodded to the two, a smirk still playing at his lips. With as much dignity as he could manage, Harry gave a smooth nod to the watching family and turned to walk back to the truck, only to slip on a black patch of ice and fall on his arse. A few feet away his dad lost it and doubled over, laughter streaming from his voice until Harry could clearly hear the tears in the chuckles. 

A pale hand came into his field of vision and he narrowed his eyes at his grinning lab partner. “Thank you,” he said stifle, wincing as he got up off his bruised tailbone. He closed his eyes and gave the back of his head a little rub to try and disperse the stinging. 

Suddenly Edward’s smirk vanished into a look of concern. “Are you okay?” he murmured, hands reaching out to touch the back of his head but Harry stepped away too quickly.

“Just a small hit,” he insisted.

“You aren’t supposed to hit your head at all after a concussion. You should get Carlisle to look you over. The damage could spread-“

“It wasn’t even a bad concussion,” Harry protested. “Hardly one at all.”

By this point both Carlisle and James had stepped closer and were listening in on the conversation between the two.

“I found you lying on the concrete, with that idiot Diggory just watching you lie there. It was a bit bigger than just a tiny concussion,” Edward scoffed, and upon hearing that Carlisle came to stand next to Edward. 

“Are you experiencing any pain now?”

“None,” Harry insisted. “It really was just a small hit.” 

Carlisle and Edward shared a look that made Harry scowl. “If I feel dizzy I’ll go to the doc, ‘kay?” he pressured Edward with an exasperated air. “Stop worrying about weird stuff, ya weirdo.”

“I don’t worry about ‘weird” stuff, as you say,” Edward returned with a scowl. “Your safety is not something to be flippant about.”

“You were worried about me getting you wet first day of biology. I thought you were going to murder me with just your stare cus’ the stupid water.”

“It wasn’t because-“ Edward broke off with a frustrated sound. “I wasn’t glaring at you because you were wet, and I apologize for glaring at all. I didn’t intend for you to believe that I disliked you.”

“He can be a bit temperamental at times, don’t be bothered by it!” Harry startled up at the sound of the voice so close to him. 

“Alice,” Edward ground out, but Harry simply laughed.

“He is, ins’t he,” he mused with a grin. “I was going back on theory of bipolar disorder. Or maybe multiple personalities…”

Alice laughed brightly and danced up to her brother. “I like him,” she grinned.

Harry flushed at the comment and retreated to his father’s side. This was just getting to be too much for him. “I’d really love to stay and chat, but we’ve really got to get going. I need to buy food for this one here so he doesn’t starve when I go to Seattle.”

“I lived before you, I can live again,” James said solemnly. “But only if I drive to the store, you and intersections scare me. At least when you drive to the city there will be limited places for you to drive off the side of the road.”

Harry noticed the Cullen’s all frown at that, as if they were offended at the thought of him driving. “Accidents should be able to be avoided easier when everyone’s turning the same direction. Hard to get turned around when you just follow whoever’s in front,” he joked.

Edward was still frowning at him, even as they walked to the car and James took the front seat. He narrowed his eyes at his classmate, and when the frown refused to abate, he made a silly face out the window, feeling proud when the stern facade broke and a slight smile replaced the scowl.

From the side mirror Harry watched the rest of the Cullen family pull into the silver Volvo. Edward was last, and when James finally pulled around the turn Harry could still see him staring.

“So, Edward.”

“Mind your own business, dad,” Harry complained with a slight grin in his dad’s direction.

“They looked concerned about you driving to Seattle. Maybe you should wait and go with some friends…”

“I’ll be fine, it’s a pretty straightforward drive and I really want to go there this week before the weather gets even worse,” he tried explaining. He’s always wanted to visit Seattle, everything from Pike’s Place Market to the bay held his interests, and besides, it’d be a good place to get Christmas gifts.

He’d just drive up that morning, spend the day shopping around, and be back by night. Easy peasy.

“Alright, just promise me you’ll drive back when it’s still light out. That’ll still give you a few hours to see the city.”

____

As it turned out, he wasn’t going to quite be able to make that schedule. 

“Yea, I’m sorry but there was an accident-“

“Not caused by you, I hope?” The desperate tone in James voice even over phone made him cringe.

“No, no, not by me, but I’m gonna start driving soon. I should be back by midnight though, alright?”

“You could just stay the night-“

“I’ll be fine, seriously. I’ll call you when I’m back on the road,” Harry shook his head at his father’s worry and clicked his phone off. He’d made it here in one piece, and driving in the dark wouldn’t be too difficult as there were still plenty of cars when he’d last passed a freeway. He hadn’t expected such a traffic jam, but hindsight was 20/20 and rush hour probably could have been avoided with a bit of better planning. Oh well, no time like the present, right? Right. 

Pike place market had been exciting, just like he’d expected. Everything from the vendors to the crowds of people made him irrationally excited. London had been a rough time for him, admittedly, but he still missed the faster pace of a city.

“You want fish?” 

Harry was startled out of his thoughts by a smiling woman offering what appeared to be a fresh catch, head still attached and everything.

For a brief second Harry considered taking it, contemplating the risk of carrying a fish in his car for an extended period versus the immediate joy he knew he’d receive at the sight of some of the more annoying students opening their locker to find an old fish. But alas, his truck deserved better than that, even if it was a tempting offer.

“Think I’m going to have to pass,” he said in a friendly manner before wriggling around in the crowds to find somewhere suitable to take a bit of a rest and fill his stomach. He finally found a place that sold some regular-ish food items so he stepped up to order, picking out an item at random before paying and walking over to a relatively clear area to wait.

The crowds were starting to die down, now that it was approaching dusk. He’d give himself another hours or so before he knew he needed to get on the roads, hoping to arrive before his dad went to bed. His food was brought out to him and he quickly ate, an odd nervousness creeping up on him as he thought about the hours drive he still had to accomplish…maybe this wasn’t - he shook his head of the negative thoughts and glared down at his food. Nervousness was normal, but he knew he’d planned it out and he knew he was capable of it, it was just the approaching night that was playing weird tricks on his mental state. Besides, it wasn’t all bad.

Sure, his day trip had turned into more of a late morning to midnight trip by this point, but while he resented the change to his schedule, he had to admit, the lights from the city were beautiful to look at while surrounded by the inky blackness of night. 

He discarded his trash and checked his coat pockets, ensuring everything was in its place as he checked his phone GPS and figured out the route to his car. He’d parked a bit far from the market to avoid major traffic and that had worked well for mostly everything. But he’d managed to stray pretty far from that original starting point, and he decidedly wasn’t looking forward to the walk back. “Just avoid the alleyways,” he told himself as he walked down the ill-lit street. He supposed if it came down to it he could pretend to be crazy. Some jittery hands, talking to himself, maybe a limp…no one would bother him if he seemed even crazier than them. That was the theory at least.

There weren’t too many stores open by this point, and while he had picked up some pretty decent christmas gifts, he’d also been looking forward to possible picking up some new books to entertain his time. Maybe the little shop he’d seen a few buildings down from his car would still be open.

Luckily for him it was, and he’d just managed to slip in the door when a group of decidedly sketchy looking guys strolled past. The store he’d managed to find himself in wasn’t a Barnes and Noble by any means. The bookshelves went to the ceiling and most looked a little dusty, but the atmosphere is what struck him the most as odd. It looked native, like it belonged more on a reservation than a back street of Seattle. Several of the books even had no labels on the spine, leading him to just pull them out at random and browse. He was already late anyways, might as well make it worth it.

Most of the books he’d selected looked too boring. Encyclopedias or journals on old medical techniques or specialized law. He skimmed his fingers along the old, worn spines before stopped at at a smaller-sized tome that looked slightly cleaner. Either new or used more, which probably meant it was a little more suited for reading than an informational novel on Uganda’s native flora. Hopefully.

He leaned back against one study looking shelf and opened the thick front cover, squinting his eyes before he was able to make out what he assumed was a title in the rightmost corner, The Book of Blood.

“…Interesting,” Harry muttered to himself skeptically as he flipped through the book until a header titled VAMPIRES met his eyes. “How much?” He turned to ask the person he’d seen residing at the front desk. It looked like it could be enjoyable, if only for the sheer absurdity of it.

“$2.50,” was his answer so without hesitation he pulled out the change and handed it to her, giving her an extra dollar just because it was so cheap and lets be honest, this store didn’t look like it got that much business. Besides, it appeared to be the only fiction book in the shop so he figured he was lucky he found anything at all.

“It’s a bit late to be out,” The woman said conversationally as he stuffed the book in one of his bags from his earlier purchases.

“Yea, I’m about to go back to my car now, actually,” He smiled a bit at her. “Know any shortcuts to the western parking center?”

The woman frowned thoughtfully and drummed her long fingernails against the glass counter. “You turn left down the second alleyway on the right. Follow that down and it should connect you though and take a few blocks off.”

Despite being a bit fearful at the idea of taking an alleyway, Harry thanked her and left with his purchase, keeping a keen eye on his surroundings as he found what he assumed was the right alley and darting around the corner. He got a decent few yards in when he heard a group of four men pass around the corner and by the mouth of the alley. As they approached the light he realized that they more or less looked about the same age, but they were dressed way too casually to be out for a night, clothes looking somewhat grimy and ill-fitted. They were joking with each other, laughing loudly and stumbling around in an obnoxious manner. Drunks, hopefully. People were less dangerous when drinking, their reflexes unsteady and mind unclear.

“Hey, there!” One of them called as they seemed to catch his movement out of the corner of their eyes, stopping and lingering unsteadily along the edges of the alleyway.

Harry glanced up automatically - first mistake - then muttered a quick “hullo” as he hurried to get past the alleyway and into more lighting. 

“Why don’t you slow down?” Another one of them snickered, and without thinking, he slowed his movements and gave a quick jerk back to look at them again. Two of them had paused, presumably the two that had spoken, but the other two were out of view. The one who had spoken was the more heavy set of the two, wearing a flannel that opened to a dirty wife beater with torn jeans. He took half a step towards the entrance.

Quickly looking away, he walked faster towards the end of the alley that would open up to the corner where he needed to turn at, hearing them laughing at full volume behind him.

"Hey, wait!" one of them called again, but he kept his head down and rounded the corner with a sigh of relief. He could still hear them chortling behind him, the sound echoing strangely between the two sides of gray bricks.

Harry finally made it out of the narrow tube confining his movements and picked up the pace, quickly darting around the corner so they wouldn’t know which direction he’d turned. He found himself on the same sidewalk he had walked earlier that day, leading past the backs of gray colored warehouses and bared wire fence. It hadn’t looked so threateningly earlier, but now, under the cover of darkness, Harry realized just how isolated he’d made himself. All in order to avoid minor parking struggles, and now he was going to pay the price. 

His jacket had been left in the car, not wanting it to get in the way while shopping, but now a sudden breeze made goosebumps rise on his arms and he gave a little shiver. Far off he could see a single van turn left then disappear down a cross street, then there was nothing.

They’re just drunk, he resolutely told himself. They aren’t trying to cause any trouble, just drunk and they don’t realize -

He broke off his thoughts in shock when he looked up from the cobbled cement to see the two men were walking quietly twenty feet behind mind, laughter not quieted and conversations topped, as if they didn’t want to alert him to their presence. 

They were the same loud guys as before, had to be. Fuck. He turned his head forward and quickly mentally calculated the distance he still had left till he reached his car. Not too far off, it was in the same range, but still a good few minutes away. Maybe if he ran…

Running tended to trigger a predator instinct, though, and he had no doubt they would chase after him. But maybe they would be too inebriated to follow him, wouldn’t be fast enough or would stumble and fall…His wallet was in his back pocket, though he’d spent most his cash already, only having a ten and a few ones left, but he thought about dropping it anyways or maybe even going for the obvious route and waving it at them. But a small voice inside his head warned that it might not be money they were looking for.

He knew rape wasn’t as common against males, but it was still a high statistic and as much as he hated to admit it, he definitely looked feminine enough to be younger than his age, at the very least. Not for the first time, he cursed his small stature.

He started to realize how dangerous this situation was becoming. Their footsteps were much too quiet compared to the boisterous noise they’d been making earlier, but it didn’t sound like they were speeding up to match his quicker pace. Breathe, he reminded myself. You’re jumping to conclusions, you don’t know they’re following you yet. Maybe they also parked in the same lot, there were other cars there earlier, weren’t there? 

He kept a steady pace going, as quickly as he could without actually running, focusing on the directions he knew in his head. A blue car turned down his road and he stared blankly at it for a few seconds as it drove past him. He briefly thought about jumping in front of it, but hesitated before his feet could connect to his brain and make the movement. He wasn’t even sure if they were following him, he reasoned, mind desperately hoping to convince itself, but by then it was to late.

Harry risked another brief glance over his shoulder and saw with a small amount of relief that they were maybe thirty feet back now. Their stares were still an unwavering as before, and equally unsettling.

The stretch of road he was on seemed to extend forever, the corner he needed to turn at still a distance away. He kept his pace quickly and steady, even as the men behind him seemed to fall back slightly at every yard. Maybe they had realized they were frighting him, he reasoned in his head. After all, they hadn’t chased him and they weren’t trying to yell at him any more, maybe he had been mistaken for a friend and now that they realized he was a different guy they were backing off. That had to be it, he thought, shoulders relaxing as he let out a grateful sigh.

Then came to a startling halt.

Because leaning back against a windowless building, midway down the street, were the two men that had broken off from the group, both watching with the same startling intensity as the men following from behind. He realized he wasn’t being followed.

He was being herded.

Pausing only for a brief second to collect his thoughts, Harry turned and darted to the other side of the street and picked up his pace, shoulder’s instinctively straightening as if he was trying to make himself look more like a threat. He had a sinking feeling that it wasn’t effective though, hearing the footsteps behind him grow louder and more firm. More confident.

“Glad we could meet up here!” He heard one of the men from behind him shout. The noise was jarring in the dead silence of the street, but he contained his flinch.

“Told you we’d make it on time,” one of the others shouted back in a mocking tone.

In front of him, still a good few yards away, the other two straightened from their reclined position and stuffed their hands in their pockets, coming towards him. One more step…two now, gaining quickly. Fuck fuck fuck, could he run? Would he make it?

Except… “Don’t try running now,” the gruff growl came from much closer behind him than he was expecting. Having been distracted by the other two he hadn’t even noticed the footsteps growing closer behind him, not even fifteen feet off by now.

“Stay away from me,” he warned, trying to make his voice sound stronger than he felt. He was apparently unsuccessful, going by the rambunctious laugher that followed his exclamation. 

“Hey now, cutie, don’t be like that,” the one who hadn’t spoken yet proclaimed with a sneering smile. “Nice accent you got now, long way from home, eh?”

Harry tried to recount all the self defense training he’d received in the past, mostly from his father. There hadn’t been much, just small lessons on how to grip a weapon and statistical probabilities on gunshot wounds. Nothing that would help him here.

“What do you want,” he asked at the same time his mind warned not to play their games.

Make it difficult, it told him. Predators don’t want prey thats hard to get, make them understand that it wont be worthwhile. He clenched his palms into tight fists, nails nearly cutting into the soft skin of his palms, and gathered as much breath as he could to let out a shout.

Headlights suddenly appeared around the corner that he was supposed to turn, flashing bright in his eyes and making him flinch back for a quick second. The car nearly hit the two standing a few yards in front of him, forcing them to jump back in order to avoid being hit by the silver vehicle.

It was going so fast there was no way it was going to stop before hitting the sidewalk, but before he could try to jump aside, the car spun out in a circle and came to a stop a mere ten feet from him.

“Get in the car!” A voice snarled out at him and for a moment Harry was fearful that someone else had come along to prey on his stupid no good decision to park so far away. But then his memory was revived and he realized who it was.

It was amazing how instantaneously the choking of his throat cleared and his heartbeat settled, amazing how the feeling of security washed over him, even before he could make any movements towards to car. “Harry, get in the car,” the command seemed softer now, and it shook him out of his thoughts enough that he realized he was still standing on the sidewalk, fingers clenched into tiny fists by his sides. 

“Oh,” he breathed out, then obeyed the gentle instruction and carefully walked over to the silver volvo and climbed into the door that was already open for him. It was dark in the car, interior light up only be the soft glowing of the controls, but unlike the previous fear that had grown due to the inky blackness of his surrounding, this darkness calmed him.

The tires squealed as Edward spun his Volvo around to face the direction from which he came, accelerating until it felt like he was going at least sixty and staying that speed until he turned with a screech into the parking lot where his car was located, where he promptly stopped the car with a sudden jolt, making Harry slid forward in his seat.

“Sorry,” he heard the beautiful boy apologize, then, “Look at me, Harry,” with a little more urgency.

Harry looked up at the command and focused his eyes in the man staring back at him, not really reacting even when ice cold hands reached over to grab his own and unfold them from their clenched positions.

“Oh,” he said again in surprise when he realized they had still been formed into little fists, ready to try to fight. He studied his face in the dim lighting of the car, observing his flawless features as Edward waited for his mind to catch up with the last few minutes. It took him a few more moments to realize that his expression was murderous.

“Are you okay?” Harry questioned, voice somewhat hoarse but still understandable.

“No,” Edward simply stated, voice hard as stone though his hands were still gentle. He wanted to say something in response, but in that moment he felt utterly safe, not even the expression of fury able to raise any alarms. Edward had saved him from a fate he didn’t want to consider.

“Harry?” he then asked, voice tight but controlled.

“Yea?” 

“Are you okay? Are you injured anywhere?” His head was tilted slightly towards him and if it weren’t for the fury plain on his face, he would’ve guessed that Edward sounded concerned.

“‘m fine,” Harry insisted, blush rising to his face as he realized just how embarrassing it was to be defenseless when Edward had so easily scared four men away. What a blow to his masculinity, jeez.

“I’d very much appreciate it then if you were to distract me,” his tone was nothing but polite but Harry didn’t dare to interrupt to ask why when Edward put his car into reverse and started to drive away from where his car was still parked, alone, in the dingy parking lot.

“…I thought about buying a fish today to stuff into some prat’s locker?” he finally said sheepishly, looking over and biting his bottom lip when he saw Edwards hands relax their grip on the wheel and the side of his lips turn up in a sort of smile.

There was a few more seconds of silence before Edward reached over and took one hand off the wheel so he could reach for Harrys seatbelt and -

“Put your hands back on the wheel!” Harry cried out indignantly, swatting at the hands that were trying to push his seatbelt into place. 

Edward merely looked amused at his protest. “Put your seatbelt on,” he demanded.

“You put your seatbelt on,” was the mulish reply.

From the corner of his eyes he could see Edward rolling his own, even as the smile tugging at his lips evolved into a full on grin.

“Are you always this difficult?” he wondered and Harry stuck his tongue out in an answer. As soon as the plastic was snapped into place, he took a sharp left, speed climbing up until is was a good ten over the speed limit, at best.

“Where’re we going?” he timidly asked, not exactly recognizing his surroundings but knowing that they were nearing the center of the city again.

“Food, you need sugar to combat the shock,” Edward’s eyes turned to meet his and he saw that there was no ounce of light left in the iris’, both colored completely black. Harry held back the protest on his tongue that he wasn’t going into shock, recognizing the wisdom of the words.

“You feeling better?” he asked instead.

Edward gave a short bark of a laugh, but it didn’t sound humorous at all. “Not really.”

Harry waited in silence but he didn’t speak again. His face had gone back to being rigid, not even a semblance of a smile on his face.

“What’s wrong?” 

“Sometimes I have a problem with my temper, Harry,” he said softly, eyes narrowed into slits as he stared out the window. “But it wouldn’t be helpful to turn this car around and hunt those -“ Harry could see his hands flex against the wheel as he struggled against the end of his sentence, anger overwhelming his voice again. “At least, that’s what I’m trying to convince myself.”

“Ah,” Harry nodded sagely as if he could understand that anger, mostly he had just felt afraid. “You definitely shouldn’t do that.”

The turned onto a street with lots of streetlamp and pedestrians, and although Edward was still going fast, he was at least closer to legal, weaving through stoplights and cars and pedestrians with ease before pulling up in from of a seemingly quiet Italian restaurant. Harry heard the drivers door open and turned in time to see him getting out of the car.

“What are you doing?” He asked, eyebrows scrunching down as he observed his movements.

“I’m taking you to dinner,” he said, as if it were completely obvious. Which it wasn’t, to him at least. Harry let his fingers trail down to undo the seatbelt but before he could reach for the door it was smoothly being pulled open for him.

“Thanks,” he stumbled out, red taking over his pale cheeks as he cursed his clumsiness. “And that would be the reason I didn’t try to run,” he gave a little laugh. Edward, apparently didn’t find it quiet as funny, going by the flash of rage in his eyes and tenseness of his posture.

“Food?” Harry simply asked cheerfully in response.

“Food,” Edward agreed finally with a nod and a wry smile. The restaurant he had chosen wasn’t crowded - it was on the outskirts of the city after all. It looked friendly though, and warm.

“Table for two?” Edward asked the hostess charmingly and Harry saw her eyes flicker between them in a barely perceptible second before nodding and smiling at them both. She led them around the corner, to a more secluded area that he assumed was for couples or more private conversations. Edward smirked when he saw where they were going too, as if his life couldn’t get more embarrassing.

“Your server will be right out,” she said kindly before leaving them to their own devices. Harry rolled his eyes to the ceiling but thankfully they didn’t have too long to wait before a male was stepping up to them and introducing himself as their server and asking for drink orders.

“Could I get a coke?” Harry said politely, smiling at the man when he nodded cheerfully and gave him a grin.

“And for you, Sir?” the server turned to Edward who was looking grumpy again.

“The same.”

“What?” Harry asked once the server had left. Edward was starting at him with an intense stare that was making heat rise to his face again.

“How do you feel right now?” his eyes stayed fixated on his face, no matter where he looked to try to avoid the stare

“Fine?”

“You don’t feel dizzy, sick, cold…?”

“Ah, maybe a little cold?” Harry said sheepishly but before he could really blink Edward was shrugging out of his own leather jacket and passing it across their table.

Harry looked at the proffered item for a second, thinking about whether or not he should take it before gingerly reaching out and shrugging his arms in it. “Long,” he gave a small laugh ever as his cheeks lit up with a blush. The sleeves were too long on him so he bunched it up a little at his elbows.

“Tiny,” Edward teased back, receiving and arched eyebrow and tiny scowl in return.

The waiter appeared again with the drinks and a basket of bread, “Are you ready to order?” 

Harry hadn’t even looked at the menu. Whoops. He scanned over the items quickly, finding himself not as hungry as he thought he was. “Salad?” he ordered, voice taking on a slight questioning inflection.

“You should really order something warm,” Edward commented but let it rest and ordered a simple pasta for himself. The waiter wrote everything down quickly, urged on by the slight glare Edward was giving him then he disappeared around the corner.

Harry was still somewhat watching his direction when he felt the basket of bread being pushed towards him. “Eat,” was all that was commanded, then more thoughtfully after, “and drink, you need sugar.”

“I really don’t think I’m going to go into shock,” Harry sighed. Sure, he felt a little cold, but it was night in Seattle so that was to be expected, even if he was wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt. Plus, his head had felt cloudy earlier but now it was fine.

“You were already in shock, now I’m just trying to get it completely out of you,” he said back, eyes taking on the scrunchy appearance that signified his anger. “Plus,” his tone lightened considerable, “dinner’s a good distraction.”

“Ah yes, your need for a distraction,” Harry's eyes narrowed. Sure, he could understand anger, he had been angry, albeit with a whole lot more fear involved. But for someone who claims they shouldn’t even be friends, Edward seemed a lot more furious than the case called for. 

Instead of answering, Edward just pushed his coke towards him and made a motion with his hands. 

“Alright, alright!” Harry gave in with an amused eye roll and obligingly sipped at the straw, and then took a longer pull, finding he was a lot thirstier than he thought. From across the table he could see Edward smirking at him in a superior manner.

“I don't need your sass, Mr. I’m always right and you should just stop trying,” Harry scowled, then blinked in surprise when his title made Edward let out a short bark of laughter.

“If I’m always right, does that mean you’re going to eat some bread now as well?”

Harry held his eye contact as grabbed a bread stick and stubbornly muted on the end, arching an eyebrow when Edward met his glare without flinching, looking far more amused than the situation called for. 

“Really, I’m fine, no weird head feelings at all anymore,” He finally insisted to end it once and for all and Edward conceded with nod. 

“You really should be still, you got out of shock remarkably quick for such a situation,” He seemed agitated, like he didn’t appreciate the truth in his words, and when he looked back up Harry was startled to see the deep blackness of his eyes fade into something a little lighter in color again, like warm topaz.

“I feel safe with you,” Harry confessed quietly.

“You shouldn’t,” Edward warned but his eyes remained light in color, as if his mood didn’t change despite the strong words. “I didn’t plan for us-“ He broke off in frustration. Just as Harry was going to say something to broach the subject, their waiter came back by and dropped the plates of food off for them.

Harry looked down, restarted that we were backtracking and stabbed a piece of lettuce with his fork, chewing it as if it had offended him. “You’re less angry when your eyes are lighter colored.”

“What?” his hand was paused, holding the fork up frozen in position.

“Your eyes seem darker when you’re mad, like tonight, or the first day of biology. I’ve got a theory for why that is, you know,” he continued matter-of-factly.

“A theory?” he seemed amused again, like an emotional rollercoaster.

“Mm-hm,” Harry munched happily now on his lettuce and ignored the judgmental stares his meal was getting him. There was silence for a few minutes while Harry finished his meal, occasionally poking his head up to observe Edward’s plate getting tinier too.

When they were done and waiting for the check, Harry leaned his chin on his fists and asked the question Edward was dreading, “Sow why were you in Seattle, and how’d you find me. I wasn’t exactly on a main road.”

“I’ll tell you why I was in Seattle if you tell me all your theories about my eyes,” he promised after a second of silence and Harry readily agreed. 

The waiter came by for a final time to grab their plates and deposit a tab on their table, which Edward promptly grabbed before he was able to. Harry sat still for a few seconds, amazed by the fast movement…there was no way he had been able to grab it that fast, they must have put it closer to him of something…maybe.

More importably though, “I’m paying,” he insisted.

Edward snorted, “No you aren’t.”

“You saved me, which I believe equates in me paying for dinner,” His tone was superior as he attempted to hold his chin up high, even though he was still shorter and looking up.

Instead of responding Edward just waved the waiter over and handed him the money, ignoring the sounds of protest Harry was making as the waiter thanked him for the tip. “You are the most stubborn being I’ve ever met,” he murmured with a never before heard tone of affection, “and that includes my sisters.” 

Family, Harry remembered with a bit of horror. Oh god, his dad was going to kill him and it was…He fished his phone out of his jeans pocket and cursed under his breath.

“Problem?” Edward asked calmly as he rose from his chair to leave.

“I told my dad I was going to start driving a while ago but obviously I got distracted and now he’s probably worried, being a cop and all…plus it’s at least a three hour drive back home-“

“-I can get you home in one” Edward interrupted with a smirk and then Harry realized that his car was even still parked in that parking lot.

“And I realize that your car is still here, but I really don’t feel comfortable with the idea of you driving this late, by yourself, for such a distance. I’m sure my sister would love the opportunity for a shopping trip, so we could just leave it up here and she could drive it home for you this week.”

“I - okay,” Harry finally agreed. It wasn’t too bad of a plan, and hopefully his dad would be appeased that he hadn’t drove alone. Plus, now he’d be able to question Edward all the way back. There was absolutely no way that they’d just happened to run into each other in some obscure dark place in Seattle, with no other traffic, conveniently just when he needed help. “But since you wouldn’t let me pay for dinner, I get to ask you questions.”

“If you tell me your theory, first,” Edward reminded but didn’t rebuff his statement, just kept on smiling his stupid secret smile while he led them outside and opened the door or him. Like a gentleman, the jerk.

“Well for starters-“


	7. Chapter 7

"You have a nice evening,” The hostess said as they walked outside, Harry griping Edward’s jacket close to his body to shield him from the cold.

Edward walked close to him, but he still hadn’t touched him since the car. 

“I don’t bite, you know,” Harry huffed out in exasperation. It was frankly odd how Edward refused to touch him, even in a friendly way, unless necessary. 

Edward seemed to find his comment amusing, because his eyes crinkled then he let out a smooth chuckle. “I’m well aware,” he said, but didn’t talk further, instead gliding to the passenger door and opening it so Harry could climb in. Typical gentleman, just in a way more infuriating way. Which was, you know, typical for Edward so he supposed it all added up in the end.

He watched his biology partner walk in front of the car, seemingly floating, before stepping in the car and shutting the door. Harry turned to face him, eyes showing his amazement at the way Edward constantly moved. He was like an angel, unreal.

Once inside the the car, Edward started the engine and turned the heater on to the highest setting. Harry sent him a grateful smile and settled down into his seat more comfortably, buckling his seatbelt before anything could be said on the matter.

Edward pulled out through traffic at a crazy speed, once again, turning to smile at his wide eyes, apparently unconcerned about the upcoming freeway.

“My dad’s a cop, you know,” Harry said crossly, unamused at the amusement his fearful reaction was getting him. “I’m gonna tell him to pull you over.”

Edward grinned but obligingly slowed down. “So, your theory on my eyes?”

Harry sat up straighter in his seat and hummed as he reflected on his thoughts. “Sometimes your eyes are lighter,” he looked up though his lashes at the still boy. “Like in the nurses, they looked more pale. And when you found me, they were really dark and angry but now they look light again.”

“The lighting can play tricks, Harry,” Edward tried to explain but he just shook his head and rearranged himself so he was crossing his legs. 

“But it’s more than that,” he insisted. “You’re angrier when your eyes are black.”

“I thought you had a theory?’ Edward seemed more tense now, Harry noticed, and he filed it away for later consideration.

“Oh…yea, I guess that was my theory? That you’re grumpier with black eyes. They change when you're angry, or like hangry, or something.”

“Hangry?” And now Edward was smiling again, one eyebrow arched at his phrasing.

“Yup!” Harry popped the ‘P’ “Like when people get all angry when they haven’t eaten for awhile. Now I’ve told you my thoughts, so you’ve gotta tell me how you found me.”

Edward seemed to be thinking about his response, starting straight ahead at the road for once. 

“…were you following me?” Harry finally asked hesitantly, the silence becoming a bit too much. 

“I’m not quite sure how to answer that,” his partner finally admitted.

Wow, that was the first time he had been unable to answer, Harry thought with a bit of amusement. “With a yes or a no, partner,” he smiled.

“I followed you to Seattle,” he confessed, “But only to make sure you got here safe, your father was worried about you driving that far and…so was I. But I didn’t follow you around, I gave you space once I ensured that you hadn’t gotten into any accidents.”

Oh. Harry had absolutely no idea what to think about that. Okay, he did. Warmth filled his chest at the thought but he banished it guiltily. He liked Edward, like liked him. But it wasn’t good, he’d just left a relationship, and a really bad one to boot. He was damaged property and Edward was perfect and he shouldn’t be getting into any more relationships, especially when they could hurt him again. Never-mind the fact that he had pretty much already fallen in love with the boy and that said boy probably didn’t even like him back.

“Partner?” Edward asked hesitantly and Harry shook off his depressing thoughts.

“How’d you know I was in trouble?” he looked away, ignoring the burning gaze of his beautiful friend and ignoring the first part.

“If you had known what they were thinking…” Harry could see Edward’s hands clench tightly at the wheel, veins straining tightly against the pale skin.

“And you did?”

Edward hesitated, seemingly weighing something in his mind. “Yes.”

Harry swallowed. What was he saying here? He couldn’t - that would be crazy…maybe he was crazy. Maybe he really had cracked under the pressure in England.

“So you…heard their thoughts and knew to come help me…” 

“I did,” he nodded then seemed to consider the expression on Harry’s face because he reached out with a pale hand and carefully ran a thumb across Harry’s warm knuckles. “Are you okay?”

Cold hands, could read minds apparently, what the hell was he dealing with? Was Edward actually crazy?

“I don’t understand you,” he confessed. “Why would you tell me that?” 

“I feel safe with you,” he echoed Harry’s earlier words.

“You can read minds?” Harry echoed again and Edward seemed to wince at the skeptical tone.

“Maybe I should’ve told you that before we ate,” he grimaced. “If you’re going into shock again, could you tell me before we get out of the city so I can force some sugar into you?”

Harry turned to glare at him, “Not going into shock,” he groaned and that sound brought a smile back to Edward lips. Harry realized that both of them had been frowning for this entire conversation.

“Can I ask more questions?” 

“I might not answer them,” Edward admitted but nodded none the less.

“Why are your hands so cold?”

Edward seemed to smirk before answering with ease, “Blood pressure problems.”

Harry hummed under his breath and pouted, seeming to understand that he was being laughed at but not understanding why.

“Why do your eyes change colors then,” he demanded but Edward simply shook his head. 

“Wont tell me that?” he guessed and Edward shot him a regretful side-glance. Harry sighed. They were slowing down now, passing through the sign that announced their arrival back into Forks. The entire drive had taken half the time it took him.

“Will I see you tomorrow?” He demanded again.

“I’ll save us a table,” he grinned his crooked grin and Harry’s stomach gave an embarrassing flutter of excitement at his words. Bad stomach, he scolded himself, we do not get excited at anything Edward does. Ever.

They were in front of his dad’s house now and Harry winced at the bright lights shining through the windows despite the late hour. 

“Do you want me to come in with you and explain why you’re late?” Edward offered but Harry’s eyes flew open and he shook his head rapidly. 

“Oh no,” he stressed. “My dad will not find out about that, he’s way too overprotective as it is.” Besides, he didn’t want to give him any ideas about Edward.

HIs comment put a soft frown on Edwards beautiful - normal, he corrected himself - lips.

“You promise to be there tomorrow?” he said as a distraction.

“I promise.”

Harry smiled at the promise, cheeks blushing a little under the intense scrutiny before shrugging out of Edward’s jacket and handing it back to him. “Thanks for letting me borrow it.”

“Keep it,” Edward kept his hands at his side, “Your jacket’s in your car, and it’s supposed to be cold tomorrow.”

He bit his lip, departing between getting to keep his jacket for another day versus having to explain to his dad why he had a different one.

“I - okay,” Harry finally said and slid it back on before hesitating at the door handle. 

“Harry?” Edward said, serious tone contrasting the mood and making him still.

“Hmm?”

“Be careful, yes? I don’t want to have any more back alley situations. I don’t think I could stop myself next time.”

Harry stared at him in innocent confusion. “Why?" 

His eyes darkened but Harry corrected myself before his comment could be taken the wrong way. “I mean, yea, I’m not going to try to get in those situations. Just, why do you care so much?”

Edward closed his eyes and Harry realized with surprise that he’d actually never seen his lab partner with his eyes closed, which seemed weird now that he thought about it. 

“It wasn’t supposed to go this far,” Edward whispered, seemingly to himself.

“What wasn’t?”

“Have a good night, Harry,” he said instead and Harry offered him the meanest scowl he had.

Stupid, cryptic, whatever the hell he was, he fumed. You can’t just say something like that and not elaborate. “See you tomorrow!” he finally sighed in exasperation when it was made clear Edward was’t going to continue.

“Tomorrow,” Edward agreed with a thinly veiled smirk while Harry opened the door and stumbled out onto the icy ground, walking cautiously to the door and offering him a wave goodbye as the car began backing up and he opened the door to face his dads questions.

EDWARDS POV

 

Hangry. Harry thought he was hangry when his eyes got darker. The thought was equally amusing and endearing.

Sweet, innocent Harry had no idea how close he was to the truth, and hiding it was becoming much more difficult than he though it would be. The tiny human was much more observant than he gave him credit for, and just as stubborn as he’d thought.

The fact that he’d tried to argue about dinner…his family would get a kick out of it, no doubt, once he gave them the details of tonight. He had already been planning to follow Harry into the city, but his family hadn’t had a small role in encouraging it. They all knew how dangerous the city could be, both in terms of human predators and supernatural. Harry seemed to attract danger. And car accidents.

He shook his head at the thought as he turned down his driveway and parked the car, already sensing the thoughts of his family members demanding to know how it had gone.

He got no more than a foot inside when he was accosted by his wild sister, bouncing on the tips of her toes and dragging him into the family room where everyone sat on various surfaces. “Soooooo,” she lead.

“No car accidents,” he deadpanned but no one took the bait.

“Why’d you drive him home then?” Alice smirked. HIs parents turned to raise their eyebrows at him and he thanked whatever invisible god there was that he no longer held the ability to blush.

“There was an issue, which required my help. I figured it would be more prudent for me to drive him home then get his car later.”

“Situation?” Jasper asked with soft concern marring his battle-scared face. 

Edward sent a wary glance upstairs where Rosalie was fuming. “He parked in a back part of the city that’s not know for the best of characters. I’m assuming to escape from traffic. Walking back to his car, he caught the attention of some of those characters,” he sneered the word out. “Their thoughts -“ he broke off with an angry grown that he no longer had to suppress in fear of scaring his human.

“Oh dear,” Esme frown in corner. “He was alright though?” 

“He was,” he nodded. “A bit shaken up at the situation, but the shock wore off when I forced him to eat.” He smiled then, “he tried to get the bill.”

Alice and Emmett outright laughed at that and the rest of his family were smiling in clear amusement. 

“And the others? How are they,” Carlisle asked with caution.

“Alive,” Edward admitted. “But only because Harry was there to distract me. If he had been hurt,” he looked up with shame. “I would’ve killed them, Carlisle, not a second of hesitation.”

“It’s a normal reaction -“

Edwards harsh laugh interrupted but Carlisle simply sent him a fatherly smile before continuing. “ - It’s a normal reaction, Edward, for vampires and humans alike. Their kind are certainly not strangers to violent acts to defend their loved ones.”

“How can I love someone who I’m bound to hurt?” and that was the crux of the matter. He’d come to terms with his feelings, but it didn’t take away the bitterness in his mouth at the thought of how much danger he was putting Harry in.

“Does he know anything yet?” Jasper asked.

“He’s getting closer,” Edward admitted. “He knows something’s going on but I don’t think he understands what yet. I had to tell him I could read thoughts though.”

He’d been fine with telling Harry he could read minds, but it hadn’t been a cold decision, he’d been trapped. Either he admitted he could do something that wasn’t completely outside the realm of possibilities, or be labeled as a terrifying stalker to stay away from. He had too much at risk to scare him away with something so mundane.

“Had to?” Rosalie was flying down the stairs now, eyes holding red hot anger.

Edward regarded her coolly. “He asked why I was in Seattle and how I had found him. He wasn’t exactly in the center of the city, Rosalie. He was in the middle of an abandoned distract that had virtually no traffic or signs of living.”

“You couldn’t have made something up?”

“I didn’t want him to think I was stalking him more than he already knew,” he finally admitted with embarrassment that Jasper sensed, going by his tiny smirk. “I already had to admit that I had followed him to Seattle. Following him around the city was going a step too far.”

It was quiet for a few minutes until Edward sighed. “I don’t want him to be afraid of me. Thinking I’m a stalker would probably do that.”

“And what will he think then when he inevitably finds out that you live off blood?” Rosalie sneered.

“Enough,” Carlisle scolded her at the same time Edward growled “animal!” in an angry tone.

It didn’t matter, anyways. It was far too late now to go back and he refused anyways, purely on the principle. Harry was getting close to figuring it out, and while he wasn’t going to tell him, he was done lying.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry for the super long time period between updates. My application for the College of Education was due and it required me to run around town like a crazy person in order to get everything in on time. The story is starting to progress into the main story line, and hopefully we'll get a little more of Harry's past involved *hint hint*
> 
> Reviews are always appreciated!

Chapter 8:

“Harry!” the boy heard Cedric call. With a barely restrained sigh he turned around, not quite wanting to meet his classmate's enthusiasm. Last night had been exhausting and as soon as he’d gotten home and explained the situation to his dad, he’d passed out cold on his bed.

“Nice jacket,” Cedric finally caught up to him and eyed his outfit, disapproval clear.

“Yea, I left mine in the city accidentally,” he shrugged nonchalantly, “Edward was nice enough to loan me his,” he was hoping Cedric at least had the decency to gossip about this, so he wouldn’t have to explain it a thousand times.

“It doesn’t look that warm. I have an extra one in my car, it’s fur on the inside so it should keep you warm better in all the snow,” he said eagerly.

Harry barely restrained his snort. What were they, in sixth grade? “I think I’ll be fine,” he insisted. 

Cedric walked a bit faster ahead of him then turned around so he was walking backwards and facing him. “I don’t know if you’ve heard yet, but we’re playing volleyball now in gym,” the excitement was clear in his voice but Harry could barely restrain his horror.

If dodging wasn’t a good skill of his, actively hitting a ball was even more of a long-shot. “I don't think that’s really a good idea for me to be playing,” he hedged, face holding a firm grimace. Great, now he was going to be worrying about that all today during class, as if he didn’t have enough taking up the limited space.

As it turned out, Harry needn’t even worry about playing Volleyball, because he would be out of commission before it even became an issue. He honestly didn't know which situation he would’ve preferred.

“Oh my god,” Cedric moaned. “You’re not unconscious, right? Harry? HARRY?”

“Stop yelling,” Harry moaned out, laid flat against the ground outside the courts. “And stop touching me, it’s getting weird,” A small part of Harry’s mind was protesting, telling him yelling was’t fair and it wasn’t really Cedric’s fault. The other part of his brain was still reeling with the leftover dizziness and debilitating pain.

It had started out innocently enough, Cedric and him were talking before gym, joking about and such. Cedric, as he tended to, had gotten a bit overzealous and had given him a friendly push. Then his stupid brain had to make him all dizzy and before he knew it he was on the ground with his head protesting fiercely and Cedric leaning over him.

“Shit, I-I’ll just go tell the teacher real quick then I’ll get you to the nurse,” The blond boy promised before running inside and leaving Harry out to die.

Harry lay his aching head back against the cool cement and moaned out loud. No doubt the nurse would call his father, who was going to drive his police cruiser all the way here with the lights on. He liked abusing that power, his dad, no matter how many times he’d scolded him that the police lights were for _emergencies_ or _criminal activity_.

“Cedric, come back!” he tried to call. Cedric didn’t need to get him a nurse, all he needed to do was help him walk back to his car. He tried to sit up, then immediately had to hold back the urge to puke as his head dinged in a particularly unpleasant way. Okay, maybe he’d have to help him get up too, because his body was not happy.

He heard footsteps approaching from the left and he let out a little sigh. “Finally, you took forever, Cedric,” he groused.

The footsteps seemed to skip a few feet, as before he could even hear one more footfall, there was a body crouching next to him and laying freezing hands over his body.

Wait…freezing hands…

“Nooooooo,” he moaned out and risked the movement to cover his eyes with his hands. “Edward, go away,” he whimpered, embarrassment filling his core. This was not how their next meeting was supposed to go.

“Are you hurt?” Edward’s velvet voice answered back urgently, not bothering to response to his earlier comments. Rude. Or he was rude, he wasn’t too sure.

“Focus, Harry. Are you injured?” Edward spoke again and Harry tried to shake his head no but immediately regretted it when another sharp ding resounded in his aching brain.

“Just…help me up please,” he finally conceded.

Seconds later he was being lifted into the air and his hands jerked in surprise. “I mean help me stand, put me down,” he said hotly but his requests were ignored. The movement was bringing up the all too familiar nausea again and he concentrated on not puking. Then a careful hand was feeling tentatively around his neck and skull area and Harry was left to wonder dully how Edward was keeping him up with only one arm. Just how strong was this man?

“Don’t move,” he was instructed in that same smooth tone, then they were walking steadily in a direction that he couldn’t turn his head to look at. 

“Wait, Cedric was supposed to be bringing back a nurse -”

“Cedric left you injured on the ground,” and woah, okay that voice sounded much scarier than anything Harry had heard before. Like ever. Was that an actual growl or was his head making him hear things? What if he was brain dead…

“Edward, my brain’s working, right?” he asked weakly. The chest underneath him vibrated in what he thought was laughter, and he took that as a good sign. “Where are we goin’?”

“Stop talking,” Edward commanded, this time his voice taking on a stern tone. “When you talk your head shifts and we need to get that stabilized.”

“Oh my God you really think I’m brain dead,” he groused. “Let me down I’m totally fine,” he begged unconvincingly.

“You look like you’re going to throw up any second, and you’re shivering,” Edward pointed out with thin lips and a raised eyebrow, and just as he said it, Harry’s traitorous body did a full-on shudder.

“I’m not - where are you taking me?” 

“The nurses, while I call the hospital and tell them we’re coming in,” his tone of voice brooked no argument so Harry decided to do it anyways.

“I don’t need the hospital, I just need someone to take me home. Please,” he looked up with begging eyes that were completely ignored as the got to the nurses office and were let inside but a very concerned looking nurse. Apparently they had already heard, likely from Cedric, because they already had a bed pulled out and ready for him.

“Just set him on that,” the nurse instructed firmly as she pulled back the sheets.

As soon as Harry touched the fleece fabric he shivered, noticing for the first time how cold he actually was. It felt like his fingers were frozen solid, and any part that was held against Edward was practically numb. How was he so cold? Was he even human? There was no way any one could remain at that body temperature without serious issues.

“I’m just going to be over there on the phone, alright?” Edward said concernedly as he leaned down into Harry’s view, eyebrows wrinkled in a clear frown. 

Harry blinked in and out, sleepiness taking over as he observed Edward turn away and pick up the phone resting on the shiny nurses counter. He could feel his eyes begin to drift shut, hardly aware of the worry-filled looks Edward was giving as he routinely glanced back, giving updates to the ambulance on his condition.

“ - Yes, he’s -”

“ - I don’t know if I can -”

“Harry, you have to wake up,” a voice urged.

He let out a soft whine in response and tried to snuggle back into the warm blankets unsuccessfully. Unsuccessfully because of the cold hand that was smoothing back his unruly bangs and tickling his cheeks when he got close to falling back asleep.

“Rude,” he huffed out.

Soft laughter met his declaration and the hand moved from his cheek to his wrist, where it gave a soft squeeze then fell away. “I need you to stay awake until the ambulance gets here, okay?”

“No,” he answered plaintively.

Edward didn’t bother arguing the point, as long as he could keep him talking. “Cedric came in.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, I scared him away.”

Harry could physically sense the pride coming off Edward in waves so he cracked a smile and opened his eyes fully. “What’d he say?”

“Nothing, he just ran,” Edward smirk showed off his glistening teeth as Harry snickered. Just then, he could hear the short sounds of a siren nearby.

He moaned pathetically. There was no way people wouldn’t find out about this now. He made a motion to push off the covers so he could get up but before he could move further than a few inches, an iron hand was grasping his wrists and pinning them softly back against the bed. 

“Don’t move,” he was chastised just as two men carried a stretched inside.

“Nope -”

“It’s customary for them to bring a stretcher when there’s a head or neck injury,” Edward soothed but Harry was still mortified as Edward helped them get him on the stretched and load him into the back…alongside his icy friend.

“Is he even allowed to be back here?” he called out, ignoring the full-bodied laughter of his apparent bed partner.

“Stop trying to get me in trouble,” he whispered.

“Stop taking me to the doctors,” Harry complained right back, trying to ignore the sudden uptick of his heart at the feel of Edward’s breath ghosting past his ear.

“I’ll stop taking you to the doctors when you stop getting hurt,” the teasing lilt had vanished and Harry morned the loss.

“I’ll have you know it’s very rarely my fault,” he said breezily even as his eyes began to grow heavy again. It was becoming more and more difficult to keep them open, but no one was stopping him. If no one was stopping him it was alright, right? 

“You can sleep now, Harry,” Edward reassured, seemingly seeing Harry’s mental dilemma.

Harry didn’t wake up to them moving him out of the ambulance and onto a mobile hospital bed, nor being wheeled into his own room at the small hospital.

When he finally did wake it was to disorienting, bright lights and a pale face leaning over him.

“Oh, hello,” he tried to say casually, though it came out much weaker than he intended. He winced at how his voice sounded, the mixture of exhaustion and pain making his voice sound pathetic.

A warm chuckle met his ears and he slyly examined the face that had woken him more closely. Dr. Cullen then. Harry would bet anything that Edward made sure he was his doctor.

“Glad to finally have you awake, child,” he gave him a small smile and scribbled something down on the clipboard he held in one arm while his other hand reached for the stethoscope around his neck.

The words, as innocently sounding as they were, made Harry jolt up in panic. How long had he been out?!

“Calm down,” the stethoscope was dropped as the older Cullen pressed an icy hand to his chest and urged him back down. The motion bought an aching clarity to his mind as he realized just how much that small extension of effort had hurt.

“Ow,” he moaned, surprised at the sharp pain radiating from his brain. Then, “How long have I been asleep?”

“Only a few hours,” Dr. Cullen reassured. “It appears that the fall you had earlier today made your concussion worsen, causing you to exhibit more symptoms. A few days of rest, along with avoiding any strenuous tasks or further injuries, and you should be just fine.”

Harry rubbed slightly at the place where most of his pain was centered then gave the doctor a pleading look. “Can I sit up?

“That should be fine, does your back hurt much?”

“More my neck,” he winced but with the doctor’s help was able to sit up enough that he was reclining against the pillows instead. “What happened exactly?”

“After you were put on the ambulance you passed out, and haven’t woken before now.”

“Ah, Edward?”

“Been waiting out in the hallway since the nurses instructed him to let you sleep.”

The doctor seemed unduly amused by the situation as Harry groaned in embarrassment. Of all the things-“

“When can I leave?” he made puppy-dog eyes at the doctor, hoping it would garner some sympathy.

“I’m afraid not for a few more hours. We just want to ensure that everything really is working correctly and you’re not going to fall into a coma once you go home,” he comforted with a smile but Harry could tell there was some sympathy in his eyes. 

“If you’re up for it, you’ve got quite the crowd outside waiting for you,” the blond doctor continues as he pulled out a flashlight to check his eyes. Harry leaned his head to the side as cold fingers were brought up to his chin, even as he groaned in horror.

“Who?” he practically whimpered.

“Your father, some classmates…I also believe that your father has your mother on the phone…”

“Fuck,” he whispered under his breath, eyes wide as he stared down the man in front of him. “Tell me it’s not true, doc.”

Doctor Cullen chuckled softly and pressed a chilled hand to his forehead, giving Harry a brief second of reprieve from the pain. “I could tell them you’re still asleep?”

Harry looked mournfully at the door then reluctantly shook his head. Delaying it would only make it worse. “No,” he sulked, “but you can tell Edward he better get his arse in here because I am not explaining how I ended up in the hospital.”

Carlisle seemed delighted by his comment. “I’ll be sure to pass on your message,” he grinned before seemingly murmuring something under his breath.

Harry watched him walk out of his room with a put out sigh as he bonelessly flopped back against his pillows, regretting it when his head protested the careless movement.

“Fuck!” he cursed again, moaning as he brought up a hand to gently press against the offending area. A cool hand intercepted him before he could complete the movement though.

“Are you okay?” the frowning face asked in a quiet murmur even as the hands continued to manipulate his own until it was safely away from his head and onto his thigh. 

Edward met his gaze, directed towards their still intertwined hands resting on his leg, before clearing his throat and gently detaching his own fingers. 

“Carlisle said you requested me?” His quirky grin was back but Harry wasn’t fooled. He leveled a glare and petulantly huffed. 

“I wouldn’t even be in this situation had you not insisted on a doctor,” he pointed out, uncaring that his reasoning was definitely flawed.

“You wouldn’t be in this situation had Diggory not put you here,” Edward’s expression seemed to darken considerably, and once again Harry noticed his eyes steadily being overtaken by a inky darkness.

Harry was about to respond when the door opened again and his father stepped in, holding the phone away from his ear with an apologetic expression. 

“Dad, no,” he moaned, horrified. “Tell me you didn’t tell her anything that bad.”

Instead of answering, the sheriff just handed him the sleek phone.

“Hi, mum!” he said in a mockery of cheer. “It was nothing, just a small little bump. You know me, clumsy and everything.”

Edward watched the phone call intensely, leading Harry to throw him an unsubtle glare and hunch his shoulders as if that would protect his conversation form his unwavering gaze.

“ - No, I know. Yea, it’s just one bruise mum. It’ll go away, I promise. It’s not like before, there’s less places to bruise myself here,” he continued to reassure his mom, grimacing as he thought about the last time his mum had to worry about bruises. He wasn’t lying when he said it was different here, but his lack of bruises came less from the environment and more from the people.

“Hey, I have to go. If anything else happens I promise to call you, alright? Love you,” he said with affection before hanging up and handing the phone back to his dad.

“That was quick,” The sheriff raised his eyebrows in a mixture of awe and amazement.

“I’ve grown proficient over the years of reassuring her of minor injuries,” he answered wryly before turning back to Edward.

“You with us,” he waved his hand jokingly in front of the stoic face. Edward’s expression seemed to melt as he refocused on them, turning his gaze from a point behind Harry’s shoulders to meet his eyes with unquestionable curiosity.

“When can I get out of here?” Harry turned to his dad to avoid the inquisitive look. He had gone to great lengths to put his past behind him, and he wasn’t going to have any questions taint this place. The evergreen trees gave him a sense of peace that the smog-filled streets of London were unable to, and even while sitting in a shockingly white hospital bed, he had no intention of mixing his two lives. 

“They just want to keep you for a bit longer to make sure there’s no lasting effects,” the man soothed. “You’ll be home by tonight with any luck.”

The words washed over the skinny student with horror. Tonight meant not now, and not now obviously meant after hours of boring nothingness to entertain him. “Edward, please?” he turned to his other room companion. His dad was the doctor, he could totally help him out here.

One look at the stoic face made him reconsider.

“I thought we were friends,” he pouted up to his sometimes savior.

“Friends don’t let friends leave the hospital with a head injury,” he quirked up a smile and brought a hand forward to rest against the inky hair in thee act location most of his pain was radiating from. Irritation forgotten, Harry beamed him a grateful smile and relaxed into the caress, uncaring that his dad was likely witnessing this with an anxiety level dangerous for his health.

Just as he thought it, James cleared his throat loudly and pointed his intense look towards Edward’s extending appendage. “If you’re in pain I’m sure the doctor could give you something,” he hinted heavily until Edward reluctantly pulled his hand away and moved to follow the suggestion.

Harry watched the graceful form leave the room then turned his disappointed gaze upon his father, turning the tables. “Was that really necessary?” he scolded.

“Yes,” James responded quickly in defense, crossing his arms uncaring that it made him look childish. “Don’t think I’ve failed to notice that whenever you get in trouble he seems to follow closely.”

“Have you considered that I get in trouble on my own, and Edward comes to help?” 

Harry had decided to tell his father about his incident in Seattle, just because the man had noticed the gap in time from when he was supposed to be home and when he told him he’d left the market. Needless to say, any future solo trips to Seattle had been thoroughly banned, with the threat of his police officer father following him in the cruiser should he attempt it.

Overprotective didn’t even come close to an accurate description.

“I suppose I do owe him a thank you,” he grudgingly admitted which Harry took as a firm win.

The door opened again -why didn’t they just keep it open, jesus - and Edward walked in with Doctor Cullen following close behind.

“Edward said you were feeling a bit of pain?”

“Just a little tenderness,” Harry corrected quickly. “Nothing that requires medical intervention. Actually,” he reconsidered, “I really think it would be beneficial for me to go home and, ya know, rest,” he tried again, aiming his innocent smile to the two standing figures.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Doctor Cullen expressed with sympathy, though Harry noticed that the corners of his lips twitched upwards slightly as he said it. “I can, however, dim the lights here so you could get some rest here?”

His father took that as his cue to leave, though not without staring Edward down until he left the room before him. Harry watched the scene with fond eyes, then turned back to the handsome man.

“Thank you, Doctor Cullen,” he smiled appreciatively.

“Call me Carlisle,” he returned with ease, pressing a cool hand to his head in a similar location to Edward’s earlier assistance. “If you need anything don’t be afraid to call.”

“I won’t,” he swore as the lights were dimmed to a comfortable level. “Tell Edward thanks too,” he managed to murmured before the soft pillows lulled him into a comfortable state.

He thought he heard Carlisle murmur something in return, but he couldn’t be sure.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter! Sorry it's a little short this time, but I know what I'm planning wont have a good cutoff part and I'd likely way go over the pages I usually allocate to each chapter. Then it would just take me longer to get it out so I felt this was a good compromise. Hope you all enjoy it, and as usual, comments are appreciated!

Chapter 9:

When Harry awoke again it was nearing late afternoon and the clouds outside his window were approaching heavily, looking as if they could dump buckets of rain at any moment. Granted, it was better than snow, but he knew by night time the fresh coat of water on the ground would be frozen solid regardless.

He pulled out his phone from under his pillow and sent a quick thanks in his mind to his ever-thoughtful father who’d brought him a charger. As soon as the bright light of the screen light up he saw countless messages from classmates and his mother, though he decided to tackle his friend first.

“Hey, Neville!” He said cheerfully as a confused voice answered the phone.

Neville was nice, a good kid, if a bit naive but honestly Harry couldn’t imagine how annoying the town would be without him. 

“I’m okay,” he assured his friend after the squeaky voice rose in volume when he realized just who was calling him. “The doc said it was just a bump and that I should be fine. I’ll be at school tomorrow and everything!” He tried to sound cheerful as he said the words, but even he couldn’t fully pretend he was excited to hear more about Andrew Jackson’s war against the banks. 

He sat up a bit against his pillows, relieved to find that the earlier pain had decreased significantly. Neville was still talking on the other line about how everyone was gossiping about why he was at the hospital and how Edward had found him, and best of all, how Cedric was walking around school like a dejected puppy. Harry tried not to feel to bad about that, he was the one who had left him on the concrete alone. Eventually it turned back to questions about his health and Harry had to laugh a bit.

“Neville, I’m perfectly healthy,” he said slowly, unable to stop the amusement from creeping into his voice. “Trust me, I’ve dealt with a whole lot more than a bruised head.” A whole lot more, his subconscious told him.

“Shut it, you,” he hissed back, much to Neville’s confusion and his own chagrin. Stupid subconscious getting the better of him again. “Hey, anyways, I’ll be back tomorrow, yea?” 

Neville murmured a relieved-sounding agreement and Harry barely restrained his affectionate chuckles before ending the call and flopping back against his pillows in an overly exaggerated manner. Phone calls exhausted him.

This town exhausted him. Granted, it was way better than London, but sometimes the smallness of the town just sucked the energy right out of him. People didn’t gossip in London, and if they did, it didn’t matter ‘cuz there were hundreds of other kids to hang out with anyways. It was much easier to hide there.

Especially from grumpy classmates who kept showing up right when he needed them. He doubted he’d have any success hiding from him, not that he’d even want to. Edward was something different, of that he was sure, he just didn’t know what.

He didn’t realize that he had an audience until he felt a soft cough to the side of his bed. His eyes flew open and he weakly sat up, only to find Edward by his side with a placating hand in the air. “Didn’t mean to startle you,” he said smoothly.

“I was just thinking,” Harry admitted with a soft blush, trying to hide the fact that he had just been thinking about said person.

“Oh?”

Harry ignored the invitation and pushed himself into a seated position while worried eyes catalogued his movements. “Am I free yet?” he asked hopefully.

“Are you still feeling any pain?”

“Nope!” He said cheerfully, “I could totally do anything right now, seriously,” he tried to convince his still frowning visitor.

“Hmm, do you mind?” Edward held out a hand and Harry nodded in acquiesce, tilted his head so he could have easier access to the sore patch. Gentle fingers probed the area, sending small sparks of discomfort but nothing extreme, then they were pulling away. The ice cold digits felt good against his head, relieving him of his slight headache, and it was all he could do not to follow the hand when it left.

“I’ll page Carlisle,” he finally sighed and Harry beamed up at him, though the face remained stoic. His grin slowly fell off as he considered the still figure. 

“Something wrong, partner?” he asked lightly.

It was quiet for a fraction of a second then Edward offered up a small smile that did little to halt Harry’s curiosity. “Nothing,” he murmured before staring at him considerately. 

Harry stared expectantly up at him, nonplussed by the lackluster answer he’d already gotten. 

“Your phone conversation with Neville -“

“You heard that?” Harry interrupted sharply.

Edward looked at him hesitantly and Harry sighed in exasperation. “Got it, you can’t tell me?”

“I could hear it,” Edward agreed finally with a sideways look. “You mentioned that you’ve had worse injuries…” It was hard to keep his voice even, harder still to resist touching the human but he held back his more instinctual side. He wasn’t quite sure what answers he was looking for, but Harry’s comments aggravated a part of him that demanded answers.

Harry gave him a long glance and inwardly smirked. He could see how hard it was for Edward to ask rather than demand, and going by his dark eyes, it wasn’t due to lack of anger.

“It’s just a small bump, Edward,” he tried to explain patiently, thanking whatever God that while his partner might be able to read minds, his seemed to be strictly Edward free. “Most people have had worse.”

Edward remained silent though Harry would see his mind working. Distraction, he thought quickly. “Drink?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m thirsty, an I’m sure you know this hospital better than me. Come with me to get something to drink?”

“I’ll go get it,” Edward responded immediately, voice reproving as he gestured with his eyes for Harry to stay in bed. His response was met with a insubordinate glare apparent enough for Edward to threaten to call in a nurse if he tried to get up.

“You wouldn’t!” Harry gasped in mock horror. A nurse wouldn’t be too bad actually, maybe she’d tell Edward that he could get his own damn water and he was just inviting Edward to be nice.

“I’ll be right back,” Edward’s lips unwittingly formed an affectionate grin as he observed the mutinous glare of his lab partner.

Harry watched him leave the room then mentally gave a sigh of relief. He wasn’t sure how he would handle it if Edward continued to ask more questions, he only knew that telling him would be a mistake. Potentially even cause Edward to stay away permanently. He wasn’t naive, he knew he was damaged goods, and Edward was perfect.

He eyed his charger from across the room and considered how much effort the ability to charge his phone was really worth. Fifteen percent was doable, but not if he wanted to do anything other than occasionally check for messages. The knowledge that his mom was probably worrying out of her mind eventually prompted Harry to sit up straight and begin the process of getting out of bed. He made it to two legs dangling over the edge when Edward came back in, hands holding a bottle of water and 

“ - Yesss, food,” Harry practically moaned as he caught glimpse of the coffee in Edwards hands.

“Coffee is not food,” Edward rebuked as he quickly walked the distance from the door to the bed and set the items of the side table. “And you are not supposed to be up.”

“You gonna tuck me back into bed then?” Harry smiled sweetly at him though obligingly slid his legs back onto the mattress.

“I might.”

Harry blushed and made a grabby motion for the coffee instead of answering, and when the beverage was held out Harry not only took the drink but also struck out quickly and grabbed the hand that was holding it.

“Harry-” Edward groaned out, the action surprising him and simultaneously making venom well up in his mouth. He had enough self control now that he was able to force it back, but the unexpected nature of it nearly overwhelmed him.

“You’ve touched me before,” Harry noted. “In Seattle, you didn’t react as bad then. Was it because you were distracted?”

Edward paused at the questions but couldn’t find it in himself to quite pull away. “Yes,” he answered and was rewarded by a beaming smile.

“Okay, is it still fine?”

“I wouldn’t hurt you,” Edward said instead.

His response seemed to bring out a bitter smile but before he could dwell too much on the meaning Harry was tugging him minutely closer until his hips were flush with the firm mattress. “Tuck me in?”

Little tease.

“Perhaps I better go and tell Carlisle that his favorite little patient is awake.” He forced himself to take a step back before he did or said anything else that Carlisle wouldn’t approve of. The little one knew it too, judging by the smirk on his face as he watched him take a step back.

“Careful now or I’ll tell Carlisle you’re not fit to go home.”

Harry’s scowl imprinted on his mind as he walked out of the room and turned down the hallways to go and fetch his father. As much as he appreciated Harry being in a place where he knew he’d be unable to hurt himself even further, he knew that he was well enough to go home.

By the time he’d collected Carlisle and made it back to Harry’s room, said boy was already standing up and trying to cross the room.

“Get back in bed,” he demanded much to Carlisle’s mental amusement. He sent his father a sharp glare that warned him to be quiet even as he blocked out the mental laughter.

“I’m fine,” Harry insisted with a huff but obligingly walked back to his bed to take a seat on the edge. “So what’s the verdict, doc? Is Edward being crazy or what?”

“Any continuous pain?” Calories asked with humor evident in his voice.

“Nope!”

Carlisle wrote something down on his clipboard in quick strokes before stepping closer to the bed and pressing fingers to the spot when most of his impact had been centered. Harry winced slightly at the touch but Carlisle reassured him even as he wrote down a note for painkillers.

“Pain after a head injury is expected. I’ll write a prescription for some medication, but if you experience any nausea or blurry vision I expect you back in here immediately.”

“And….?” Harry looked up at him. Say it, he urged mentally.

“You’re perfectly fine to go home now,” he shook his head and grinned at the exuberant hand that flew up to receive a high five from his displeased son. 

Edward shook his head in exasperation but obliged the motion before intertwining his hand in Harry’s and pressing his lips against the knuckles for a brief second. “Very well,” he inhaled despite the burn and helped Harry up off the bed. “I’ll take you home.”

“Hopefully the next time I see you will be outside of a hospital,” Carlisle handed him the clipboard and took a blue note from a box by the sink and scribbled something down. “I’ll call the pharmacy and tell them you’ll be stopping by.” 

“My dad?” Harry asked as he took his hand from Edwards to gather his phone and charger. 

“He was called in, I believe,” Carlisle noted. “Not too long ago actually, so I wouldn’t expect him home for awhile. Now the pain pills I’m subscribing you are strong. Don’t take them without someone there to supervise you.”

Harry nodded and took the rectangular blue paper, folding it and putting it in his pocket for safe keepings. “Sounds good!”

“And after that, I believe, you are free to go,” Doctor Cullen looked briefly at Edward with a secret look then tucked the clipboard under his arm and gestured for them to walk out before him. Harry followed Edward willingly, not knowing the layout of the hospital well enough to walk himself out. His decision seemed wise as he lost his bearings about two corners in, but eventually they made it outside, despite Edward’s slow pace.

“Is that a legal parking spot?” Harry raised an eyebrow as he saw Edward’s shiny Volvo parked curbside near the doors.

“I had my sister drop it off a few minutes ago, it hasn’t been there long,” Edward muttered, which was answer enough. He then opened the passenger door for him and watched him climb inside before going around to his own door. A few seconds later, the turn of the ignition, then they were off to the pharmacy.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> So so so so so so sorry this took so long, but hopefully it's a bit longer than my other chapters have been. I realized that I've been writing at a size 13 font and have changed it to size 11 but am writing same amount of pages so it should be a bit longer. It's my finals week coming up but then summer so I'll have more time then, and I'm going to try to get another chapter up this week.
> 
> *Please feed the author reviews*  
> *I am very hungry*

Chapter 10

They drove silently for the first minute, eyes focused on the fog-shrouded streets, road empty but for them due to the work hour.

“I can stay with you until James gets home,” Edward broke the silence after they passed the first sign for the tiny shopping center that provided the town’s necessities.

Harry looked over at him consideringly. Did he trust Edward? A blush rose to his cheeks as he thought about the boy in his house, or his room, or anywhere really as long as it was with him. His hesitation brought Edward’s attention to his thoughts.

“I wouldn’t do anything that you’re uncomfortable with,” he offered tentatively, eyes boring holes into Harry’s head. The intensity of the moment made him uncomfortable so Harry turned away to stare out the window, unable to stop the slight fidget of his hands as they pattered uselessly against his upper thigh where he knew a scar lay. Curtesy of his previous relationship and created with the help of a particularly sharp rock. 

“I know,” was all he finally said.

The air felt thick and heavy with repressed words. Edward turned at the stoplight and drove into the parking lot, putting the car in park quickly but not yet opening his door. “You could come to my house?”

A snort of amusement broke the air at that one and Harry adamantly shook his head. “The only time I’ve met your family was when I crashed into their car. The next time won’t be while high on drugs,” he threw a glance Edward’s way and the tension seemed to dissipate into the steady drizzle outside. 

“You can’t be alone.”

“I can too.”

“I will not participate in your ignorance of simple safety measures.”

“Okay,” Harry frowned stubbornly at his lab partner. “If you won’t participate, then I’ll just walk home.” Or get Neville to pick me up, he silently added. 

A suspiciously growling noise came from Edward’s throat, but before he could think much on that, his wrist was demandingly grabbed and he was being pulled closer to the seat divider that separated them. For a moment his mind flashed to fear, a conditioned response that he doubted would ever fade, but as soon as the thought entered his mind it fell away. Edward was taking him to get medication to stop pain, he wasn’t going to cause any more.

“It’s dangerous to be alone while on strong medication. You could accidentally fall down the stairs, or drown, or-”

“Fine, you can stay with me until my dad gets home,” Harry sulkily interrupted his rant. His wrist was released after his agreement and his skin prickled with abandonment.

“I can assure you I won’t do anything to make you uncomfortable.” The polite mask was back in place, though a hint of warmth remained in those back eyes. “Though I’m positive with what Carlisle prescribed you, you probably wouldn’t even care, much less notice.”

“The way you said that just sounds wrong,” he stuck his tongue out the corner of his mouth and tugged open the door so he could step outside. The slight change in temperature irritated his head, but not too much and that would soon be gone anyways. Edward had gotten to his side remarkably fast, though by this point, that kind of speed was becoming normal. Well, definitely not normal, but normal for Edward. He deftly stole the prescription from the pale figure and led the way inside the thankfully heated store, making immediately for the counter in the back.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, I need to pick up a prescription from Doctor Cullen,” he handed forward the paper and watched as the lady surveyed it with suspicious eyes for decidedly longer than necessary before finally telling him to wait and that she’d be right out.

When she had turned away, Harry stood up on his tippy-toes and leaned into Edward’s hearing distance, “Do I really look that much like a drug addict?” 

Edward couldn’t help but lean forward minutely to take a deeper breath, relishing in the sharp burn that assaulted his senses. It had become less of a pain now and more of a safety insurance, a discomfort that reassured him Harry was still here and safe.

“Here you are. Make sure to take these with food and supervision. Each person can react differently to these types of medication, so if you show signs of any of the reactions listed on the back, contact the doctor immediately.”

“Sure, thanks,” He took the package and looked ruefully at it. He regretted being the type unable to swallow dry pills, but at least his home was close by.

Edward walked him to the car like the obnoxious chivalrous person/creature he was. Just another reason to place a little check mark on the “not so human” list he was creating in his mind.

“My dad shouldn’t be home till late, you know. Police stations don’t exactly close at six.”

“That’s perfectly alright,” if it was his choice, he’d stay much longer with him. Harry truly had no idea how obsessive his thoughts already were. None of the others had ever garnered such an intense reaction from him, humans and vampires alike. He understood that Harry was just a human, yet he couldn’t quite restrain the intensity of his thoughts, couldn’t deny that part of himself that was eager to become more than just friends and lab partners. 

But was Harry?

“Are you sure, I don’t want to put you out.” 

He looked so unsure of himself, white teeth worrying at his lips, that Edward reached out a hand before he could reconsider and softly thumbed the appendage away. “I’m sure,” he reassured, voice taking on a velvet quality. 

“Alright,” Harry finally conceded, looking out the window as Edward started the car so he could hide his blush. 

“Can I ask you a question?

“Fire away.”

“Why did you move here? London to Forks, Washington seems to be a pretty dramatic change in environment.”

He wasn’t sure if it was just his mind trying to fill in gaps from his inability to read Harry’s thoughts, but he looked exceptionally more nervous than seconds before. 

“My dad just seemed so lonely over here, ya know? I mean my mom had all her old friends in London but my dad moved over here without that support system. I just felt it would be nice to come stay with him,” he explained quickly. And it wasn’t a lie, not really. He did miss his dad, and he felt bad that mom had her old life still but James had to up and move his whole life a country away.

“I’m sure James appreciates it,” Edward responded smoothly as he pulled into Harry’s driveway. The nervousness was still showing in the terseness of the thin shoulders but he wouldn’t question it any further with how uncomfortable Harry looked. He put the car into park and quickly opened his door, running to Harry’s side before the boy even had time to place his hand on the handle. He knew it was dangerous, Harry hadn’t yet figured out exactly what he was, but he was getting close enough to know that he certainly wasn’t human.

When he opened the door a raised eyebrow met his crooked grin and instead of making up an excuse he simply held out his hand for Harry to take.

Instead he found the package of pills being thrusted at him while his biology parter sent him a cheeky grin and all but hopped out of the car. A wince passed his expression at the movement though.

“Ugh, medication,” Harry groaned in pain, having forgotten about it when he had jumped out. What could he say though, Edward’s eyes were mesmerizing and distracting and he basically forgot about basic needs when he was around him.

Edward sighed heavily and rested a hand on the slight back. “Please be more careful,” he chastised but obligingly led them up and opened the door with the key that was unfortunately hiding under the rock near the front door. Harry couldn’t be sure, but he thought he heard him muttering something about Jasper flipping a switch if he saw that. Whatever, his rock was a great hiding place.

“Sit down, I’ll get you some water to take these. Two only,” he stressed as he handed the white paper bag over. 

“Yes, mom,” he plopped down on the couch and cuddled his legs up under his body before ripping open the packaging and greedily taking the pills out. He didn’t bother reading the back, he was sure it came with the normal warning. May cause nausea, blurry vision, _death_. Edward was back in a flash and he accepted the water and swallowed them down quickly, gulping the cool liquid after it, having not realized how thirsty he’d been.

Thirty minutes. He just had to wait thirty minutes. He was tempted to just close his eyes but…

“Why don’t you take a nap?” Edward’s voice answered his thoughts sweetly. But Edward couldn’t read his thoughts, he would've told him if he could. Stupid non-human.

“And leave you to wander around freely?” he arched an eyebrow. “I don’t think so, Edward Cullen, you seem the type to read my diary.”

“Do you have a diary?” Edward’s smile said enough but Harry glowered at him to try to kill off the happiness.

“No. And if I did I wouldn’t let you read it.”

A delighted laugh met his ears and he smiled back charmingly, if a bit dopily. Shit, were the drugs affecting him already?

His confused expression must have clued in Edward to his thoughts because suddenly the drugs weren't next to him on the couch but rather held in long, pale fingers. “Fast acting for quick pain relief. Effects last several hours, but decrease in potency as the time goes on. Do not exceed six a day,“ he recited off the paper backing.

“Give me those,” Harry demanded with a pout, and when they were handing back he mulishly placed them as far away from him as he could reach.

“Mmm, you’re cute,” Edward said amusedly as he observed the firm pout still present on his lips. “Also, very drugged. Is there anything I can get you that’s upstairs?” There was no way his little creature was going to be able to make it up those without any accidents.

“A blanket please?”

Edward nodded in consent but before he could leave a wicked expression crossed the normally innocent face. “Anything else?”

“Yea, there’s a book on my side table, could you bring that down too?” 

The green eyes twinkling at him let him know that this wasn’t an ordinary book, and he prayed to every deity out there that it wasn’t anything that would make him blush were he human. Harry watched him all the way up to the stairs and he mentally groaned. Just how bad was this going to be?

He got to the room and surveyed the bed quickly before pulling off a dark green blanket that looked the softest of the lot, mentally making a note to buy Harry another blanket that didn’t look nearly so worn. Then he turned to the side table where an inconspicuous enough book laid. Until he read the cover.

The Book of Blood, with a subhead titled vampires and in the corner, barely discernible even to his eyes, was a small note that said, “how to recognize vampires and other mythical creatures.” Fantastic. 

“Oh, Harry,” he sighed but brought the items down regardless. He handed him the blanket first, resisting the temptation to tuck it around him like a mother hen, but placed the book on the table.

“Do you need anything else?” Edward asked.

“Just you!” he answered cheerfully, mood already improved with the presence of the blanket. “Listen though, Edward, I don’t react that well to pain pills, so ignore everything that comes out of my mouth,” he continued as he got comfortable on the couch, but thankfully left the book on the table where Edward had placed it. “You don’t even want to know what happened with the wisdom teeth, yea?”

“Yes?” Edward’s lips twitched in an attempt to suppress a smile.

“Yea,” Harry stared him down in mock seriousness.

Edward waited for a few seconds to see if Harry would continue but the green eyes remained firmly planted on him. They continued that for a few moments longer before Edward finally broke it, “What happened with the wisdom teeth?”

“Edward!” Harry chastised, “I _just_ told you not to ask.”

The vampire couldn’t help the gravelly laugh the escaped from his throat at the affronted look shot his way. “I’m apologize, I won’t ask about the wisdom teeth incident again,” he promised. Harry was still meeting his eyes challengingly so he raised his hands in a mock surrender. “I promise.”

“Uh huh…” the suspicious look however quickly vanished when his attention as brought to the book on the table. 

“Interesting read,” Edward noted casually.

“Uh huh,” Harry said again as he picked it up and held it to his chest, small handing having some difficulty balancing it while under the influence of drugs. Everything felt cloudy, like his hands weren’t really his. “Does it make you nervous?”

“Not in the least,” he answered smoothly, though he couldn’t deny that the sight of it was making him curious. Harry hadn’t given anything away that he knew what type of creature he was. Then again, the book discussed more than one type of creature. It also seemed that Harry bought it before he started to catch on that he wasn't human, or at least, before he told him he could read minds. 

“I found it in Seattle, at a weird book shop far off the well-beaten path. It was the only book in the shop that wasn't about boring topics like plants. Thats why I was in the middle of nowhere.”

“Don’t do that again,” Edward’s frown turned more severe. “I can’t believe you thought parking in such a secluded spot would be a wise decision, especially alone.”

“I didn’t expect anything would happen!” Harry’s pout was back, this time accompanied by slightly glassy eyes. “Not my fault people suck.”

Edward’s scowl broke at the pitiful expression and he took a step closer so he could sit on the couch next to the small figure. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, “You couldn’t have know how disgusting the thoughts of humans can be.”

“Hey, I’m human,” Harry retorted, not even realizing how telling that statement was. 

Edward took note that Harry knew he wasn’t human, then again, he had assumed that already. “You are quite exceptional,” he amended. “I meant no offense, just that I wish you weren’t in that situation to begin with. I wouldn’t have allowed anyone to hurt you though.”

“No?” Harry mused. “How long were you following me?”

“The whole time,” Edward admitted, smiling crookedly in the hope that Harry wouldn’t find that knowledge offensive. “I was quite worried about you driving and being alone in such a big city.”

“I lived in London, ya know? Huge city, lots of crime. Murder, beating people up, the usual,” Harry reminded him a bit petulantly.

Edward groaned and raised a hand to his forehead. “You are, quite possible, the only human alive that would find the idea of safety to be a challenge to rise to.”

“I’m no stranger to violence,” Harry scowled at him then took his blanket and cuddled up inside it tightly. “And I don’t need anyone to protect me, I can do it myself and I’ve got the scars to prove it.”

Edward left the last, contradictory sentence alone in favor of reaching out to brush a thumb across a cheek, one of the few body parts currently visible from under the blanket. Whenever the boy mentioned London he couldn’t help but feel a pit of trepidation open up in his stomach. Part of him longed to ignore the subject altogether or pretend it was something unimportant, but his instincts were telling him that what he was hinting at wasn’t normal. And yet, whenever he asked he was shut down. Still, maybe he would be looser lipped now…

“Did you have to protect yourself a lot in London?” he prodded gently, ignoring the bitter taste in his mouth that was decidedly not caused by venom. He felt bad using the drugs to get an answer but a part of him felt that this was too important to be ignored. Several conclusions came immediately to his mind: mugging, gang violence, child abuse? Perhaps that had been the reason he left, it would explain his hesitance when asked questions about his past…

“No,” Harry corrected sharply. “It was just a violent city. My mum always warned me about it, not to go out alone and the likes.”

It was silent for a few seconds but Harry seemed to shake himself off and he peeked up a bit more from the blanket, leaving Edward to smile at the cute action. “Sorry for being snappy,” he whispered after a few seconds. “Makes me miss home…”

It was a blatant lie, but one Edward seemed to accept for the smile became a bit brighter and the tense frame seemed to melt more into the couch.

A hum of acceptance came from Edward’s mouth then the beautiful boy was shifting closer to him and reaching for the book in one smooth movement. “So vampires, huh?”

“And other things!” Harry defended his choice, making grabby noises for it. “Wanna read it with me,” he smirked.

Oh the irony. The fates truly did want to torture him, but hell befall him if he denied the green-eyed thing beside him. “Very well,” was all he said though.

“Any recommendations on starting places?” The minx was still smirking at him, yet somehow the image of innocence remained.

“I’d propose we open the book at random,” he wagered that it wouldn’t fall on a chapter with vampires.

It did.

“Characteristics of Vampires and the History of Their Discovery”

A second later his phone rang and he pulled it out to see Alice’s name flashing on the screen. He had to work with her on earlier warnings. 

“Yes,” He opened it and answered curtly, motioning a finger to Harry to tell him he would only be a second.

“Yes, I realize, and no, I won’t. Tell Rosalie it’ll be fine.” Harry was bound to find out soon anyways, better yet that it be with him. Not to mention, he wasn’t even positive Harry would remember this after a night of sleep once the medication wore off. It did tend to have amnesic aftereffects.

“Your sister?” Harry asked once the phone had been hung up and tucked away.

“Unfortunately.”

“What’d she want? Do you have to go home now? Because I would totally be fine, like, I’ve got a blanket and a book and no reason to get up,” Harry rambled.

“Not that I don’t doubt your conviction, but I think for both of our sakes I’m going to stay here,” Edward snorted with amusement. “Both Carlisle and your father would burn me to ashes if you hurt yourself and I wasn’t there to stop it.”

“I totally wouldn’t hurt myself!” Harry protested, “you’re way underestimating me!”

Edward stared at him for a few seconds before shaking his head. “I’ll tell you what, if you can get up from this couch and walk more than a foot I’ll believe you.” I still won’t leave you alone, he mentally added, but he was confident Harry wouldn’t make it anyways.

Harry shook himself off and placed the book back onto the table then met his eyes challengingly before slowly getting up and standing unsteadily before trying to take a step…then promptly losing his balance….and falling on Edward’s lap. 

“I was just dizzy because I’ve been sitting for like, forever!” Harry argued though didn’t make any motion to get off his lap.

“You’ve only been sitting down for about forty minutes,” Edward chuckled. 

Neither of them made any move to get up, but Harry looked content enough so Edward didn’t question it further than asking if Harry wanted help getting back to his original seat.

“Nah, I’m comfortable,” he declared confidently and Edward hoped that he still felt the same way when the drugs wore off. If he were a bigger man he would insist Harry get off, but seeing the content look on the pretty face as Harry cuddled more firmly into him stopped any possible movements he might have made.

“You are unimaginably tempting, Harry,” Edward sighed as he leaned his head back and rested his eyes closed. He could feel every small movement Harry was making and he wasn’t sure if it was a form of torture or reward. 

“Yea,” was the only mumbled response he got and without thinking of the possible consequences Edward snagged the blanket next to him and wrapped it around the fragile form cuddled up on his lap. 

Alice was going to tease him mercilessly when she found out, no doubt. Vicious predator turned into couch by what could possibly be the most adorable human in existence. He wouldn’t have it any different.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry this is so late :( I'm dealing with a bit of shit right now unfortunately, and taking online classes, and I feel horrible because I've given you excuses every single chapter. But I'm really making an effort and I'm sorry for everyone who's been waiting so long for this. I hope you enjoy it and don't be afraid to give me feedback either positive or negative :)

Chapter 11

By the time Edward heard James’s police cruiser approaching the house, Harry was fast sleep. Regretfully he rearranged the slight frame so that he was draped over the couch cushions instead of him, then carefully removed himself from the tight embrace. 

A soft mumble of complaint met his movements and he let a chuckle fall from his lips before brushing the black hair soothingly. “Your father’s almost home,” he murmured softly. “I don’t think he’d been happy to see his son in the position we were in.”

At that, Harry blearily blinked his eyes open and rose into a sitting position. “What time is it?”

“You’ve only been asleep for about an hour.”

“Sorry,” Harry said, chagrined. “I didn’t do anything embarrassing right? My head hurts too much to think.” Whatever position he was sleeping in definitely hadn’t don’t his neck any favors, although it did have a feeling of mild numbness, like it had been pressing against something cold. Something like an icepack, he mentally tried to convince himself as he warily observed the twitching lips of his biology partner.

“Do I even want to know?” he finally sighed and Edward’s lips finally stopped twitching as he shifted his stoic expression into an amused smirk. 

“You didn’t do anything embarrassing,” he promised as he leaned down to press a pointed kiss on his forehead. “Though I must say, your balance was even more off than usual.”

Harry groaned in embarrassment, then groaned in real pain as the numbness of his neck seemed to wear off and a sharp twinge assaulted his senses. Immediately Edward was leaning over him carefully, hands flitting around too fast to register and Harry wasn’t sure if that was because his head was still fuzzy from sleep or because Edward really was moving that fast. 

“I’m fine,” he reassured his worried counterpart, “Just a small twinge. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“Do you need more medication? Yours seems to have worn off by now and James will be home to watch you…”

Not really, Harry said in his mind but out loud he merely uttered a “not now.” He wasn’t really a fan of the effects of drugs, they made his mind all fuzzy and the pain always came back anyways so he might as well just sit it out. “I’ll just save them, those drugs make a pretty penny on the black market,” he looked up and gave Edward a lazy grin.

“That’s not funny.”

“You say that but you’re the one whose smirking,” Harry argued, eyes lightening up at the playful teasing. “Don’t worry, I won’t sell them. Besides, next time I inevitably hurt myself again I’ll have a backup and wont have to see the doctor.” 

At the mention of Harry getting hurt again Edward’s eyes narrowed. “It seems that all of your injuries have been somehow related to Cedric, perhaps we should just rectify the problem at its base?” he suggested lightly. 

“Mhhm, I’m sure you’d like that wouldn’t you?” Harry teased back. “Cedric is harmless. Clumsy, but harmless.” That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be avoiding him in the hallways between classes and PE, though. 

The sound of a car pulling in distracted Edward from whatever he was about to say, but instead of mentioning the unspoken words Harry just got up from the couch to open to door for him.

“I think I’d better leave now,” Harry startled at the unexpected words in his ear but didn’t hesitate before turning around to give him an unexpected hug. He took a deep breath to combat the anxiety that was filling him at his unplanned movement but instead of pushing him away Edward simply closed his arms around him and pulled him in closer.

“Be safe, yes?” he questioned and despite the small smile curved out of his lips Harry knew the request had a serious undertone.

“I promise,” he nuzzled in closer to the embrace then reluctantly turned away as the sound of a fist against the wood interrupted their moment. Edward took a respectful step back as Harry pulled the door open to let the sheriff in. 

“Edward, good to see you,” the man nodded at the still figure because walking towards the kitchen to put his gear down. “Everything go okay, no accidents?”

“Shut it, dad,” Harry hissed out. His father loved to tell stories, and doubtlessly the wisdom teeth incident was at the forefront of his mind. “Everything went fine, Edward was just leaving.”

“Ahh,” the sheriff stared between them for a few more seconds before shaking his head and retreating from eyesight with barely audible mumbles that gave Harry the faint impression of a mixture between embarrassment and exasperation.

“I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you,” the pale creature promised before dropping a chaste kiss on his forehead and reached for the door nob, turning it quickly even though his body seemed unwilling to leave. Finally though Harry watched as the figure climbed into the drivers seat of the Volvo and drove away. 

Harry felt the absence acutely and sighed quickly before closing the door and turning back around so he could gather his items and place them back in his room. No need for his dad to start asking questions like why he had a book on mythical creatures. Although he was surprised that Edward had even brought it down, he had been sure that the hint would’ve been too much for the man. He hadn’t given anything away though that he knew Harry knew. Oh well, this was all way too confusing for his bruised head. All he wanted right now was to retreat to the quiet darkness of his room with a cup of hot chocolate, a blanket, and a book that may or may not give him information on what mythical creature his biology partner who he might also really really like was. Simple.

“Did you have fun?”

Harry looked up at his dad’s question and gave him a tired smile. “Yea, fell asleep for a bit though, but Edward didn’t seem to mind.”

“Oh?” Harry noticed the sports game on it the background and decided to make a hasty retreat before James asked him to join him. 

“Yea, I think I”m just going to hit the sack if you don’t mind.”

“Yell if you need anything,” James offered before turning his attention back to the football players on screen, eyes tracking the forward with the ball even while Harry danced around him collecting up all his items.

“Night!” he called as he trailed his blankets up the stairs, remembering to grab a bottle of water so he wouldn’t have to later before gently closing the door to his room and sighed at the quiet sense of relief that came with being alone. Setting his stuff on the bed on the way to his dresser he contemplated changing into pajamas or taking a shower first.

Well, he had told Edward he’d make an effort at being safe, and his head still did feel a bit dizzy, so he eventually decided to lazily pull on an oversized t-shirt and strip out of his jeans. Interestingly enough the shirt he was wearing wasn’t even his, it was the only remanent of his horrible first and only relationship. He would’ve burned it with the rest of their memories had it not been for the ironic statement declaring the owner to be against domestic abuse. It had been a souvenir from a quick survey they’d filled out on their way to coffee, and it was now a souvenir to remind him that not everyone was worthy of second chances. Also, it was damn comfortable, but that was another matter.

He walked back to his bed and pulled down the comforter before snuggling in under the covers with his blanket next to his head and his book held open on his chest as he got comfortable. Vampires, that had been the chapter they’d flipped to and Harry decided to honor the random page flip.

His eyes skimmed the page attentively, searching for key words that his brain recognized but finding nothing interesting in the historical section of the chapter until he caught sight of one small paragraph towards the end. 

“While vampires tend to be nomadic creatures, those who do chose to stay in one location for a longer duration in time form familiar communities. These groups generally function as a family unit, choosing rolls that would allow them to blend into their selective community. These may appear as regular families with parental and child figures in order to explain their similar features.”

That sounded promising, Harry mused. He had been trying to analyze Edward’s family. Surely if he was something other than completely human his family either had to be aware of it, or be of the same kind. He flipped the page to the next section and as met with a list of characteristics and traits. HIs eyes scanned quickly, taking mental notes and checking everything that sounded familiar. His stomach slowly twisted into uncomfortable knots as he continued reading, yet strangely he felt no concern, only curiosity as he overviewed his list.

Dark eyes, extremely pale, cold to the touch, fast enough that his eyes couldn’t even track his movement. He wasn’t sure about the others, he’d never seen Edward sleeping, nor had he ever seen him in the sun, which he assumed only happened once in a blue moon here. Still, there was a large checklist.

But…

Should he call him? Edward would surely answer. But no, then he’d have to explain to his dad who he was talking to and he wasn’t quite sure if he was ready to face this accusation. Either Harry was in like - love, with a vampire. Or Harry was in love with, well, he wasn’t quite sure. One thing he knew for certain though was that Edward wasn’t human, and that fact strangely didn’t concern him as much as it should have.

He felt safe with him, safer than with anyone else. He looked down at his shirt and gave a twisted smirk as he traced a nervous outline of the scar on his thigh. No, Edward didn’t scare him.

He heard footsteps near his door then James call out to him a soft goodnight and decided to take his example. He bookmarked the page just in case and put it on his bedside table before turning off his lamp and rolling over in bed so he could face the window. His last thought before he feel asleep was the faint impression of a flash of a figure out his window. Then nothing.

The next morning was difficult. Immediately upon opening his eyes he was met with dark grey clouds that warned of the upcoming storm, and by the time that he had finished with his shower and was sleepily nursing a cup of coffee the sky had started thundering loudly. Now, he wasn’t exactly afraid of thunder, per say. But he had read the statistics and they weren’t as low as he would’ve expected. Plus, everything in this town was low to the ground with nothing particularly tall enough, or conductive enough, to draw the attention of lightning away from his person.  


Which was why he was currently snuggled up on his couch watching reruns of criminal minds while his dad got ready to leave for work.

“Be safe!” He called out as the man rushed out the door, already late and expecting several calls to the station due to fallen trees and whatnot. He had been signed out of school for at least today but his dad unfortunately couldn’t take time off work, which left him to sit at home all day to find his own entertainment. He was just rising to make another cup of coffee when a knock at the door interrupted him.

He cautiously walked towards to innocent looking structure, his mom having always taught him to be wary. But then again, this was Forks, WA, not giant city London. Still, though. “Hello?” 

“It’s Edward,” the voice sounded amused at Harry’s paranoid actions but he just huffed as he undid the latch and swung the door open. 

Edward was met by the glaring gaze of his injured lab partner, completed with crossed arms and a pointed eyebrow raise. “I’m glad to see you took my warning of safety last night seriously.”

“I’ll have you know, mister, that you’re never supposed to open a door without looking at who it is. You could’ve totally been a murderer. That’s how they do it sometimes, have someone open the door then suddenly they’re inside the house and murdering you.”

“No murderers here, I checked,” Edward took another step inside the house and gently took Harry’s hands off the doorknob so he could push the door closed before any rain could blow in. “How are you?”

Harry seemed to suddenly deflate, all the puffed up air inside him having been dispersed at the question. “I don’t like thunder,” he said in way of explanation and it took all of Edward’s willpower not to kiss off that pout. “Why are you here though, not that I don’t appreciate it, but don’t you have class?”

Edward’s eyes crinkled in a decidedly attractive manner, “I have a doctors note.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do,” Harry snickered and embarrassingly smoothed down the slight wrinkles on his shirt. He hadn’t bothered to change into any sociably appropriate clothing considering he wasn’t planning on having visitors or leaving the house today. Edward had caught him in the T-shirt he’d worn to bed and a pair of oversized sweat pants that fell far beyond his ankles and ended somewhere past his toes.

“Umm, you stay down here I’m just gonna go get dressed,” he rushed out, and ignoring his flaming cheeks, left Edward where he was to jog upstairs. He quickly decided on a pair of dark wash jeans and a pull-over sweater and sped back downstairs to find Edward waiting for him by the couch with a cup of hot coffee that was promptly handed to him when he reached his side.

“Hmm, thanks,” Harry sighed happily. “I didn’t sleep well last night, storming kept waking me up.” He peered up at the still figure and chewed the inside of his lip. He wasn’t quite sure how to act around him now that he knew, or thought he knew. He certainly wasn’t going to be the first the bring it up though. 

After a few more seconds of staring with neither one offering up words first, Edward took the now nearly empty cup from Harry and placed it on the nearby table. “Would you like to go for a walk?”

Harry stared blankly back at him. Was this man crazy?! The sky had been thundering for hours, only broken up by the occasional bolt of lightning and this man wanted to walk in it. 

Something must have shown on his face because before he knew it his body was folded in a warm embrace despite the coldness seeping out of Edward. The chest underneath him was vibrating with chuckles and as much as he wanted to be angry at the amusement he didn’t want to interrupt the cuddle. He didn’t know why he waited so long to hug Edward because this was perfect. 

“I won’t let anything hurt you,” Edward murmured softly. “The thunder is harmless, but if you would rather I can drive us with Emmett’s jeep.”

“Drive us where?”

“Somewhere I want to show you,” he pulled back to he could stare into the bright green eyes that still held a shadow of doubt. “I give you my word the storm shan't hurt you.”

“Alright,” Harry finally sighed but still didn’t let go. A small part of him felt embarrassed at the clinginess but in the long duration of time they’d been in this position, it had yet to get awkward. Briefly he considered the danger of leaving somewhere unknown with Edward who might be a vampire but immediately dismissed it. 

Edward wouldn’t hurt him, of that he was sure.

“Fine, we don’t have to drive. But if so much as one lightning strike comes in eyesight I’ll have my dad arrest you,” he threatened with a fierce looking glare. He wasn’t kidding either, his dad and been wanting to use his handcuffs for ages. He always complained about the low crime rates here.

“Deal,” Edward laughed and finally broke the embrace. “You’re going to need a better jacket though,” and before Harry could even twitch Edward was standing in front of him with a thick coat that he’d gotten out of the hallway closet that housed their more heavy gear. 

Harry blinked at him, waiting for his brain to catch up to what just happened but Edward didn’t seem to want to wait for a second later he was being dressed like a toddler. “Hey!” he protested, snapping back to it as his Edward tried to poke his arms into the hole. “I get that you're fast but you could at least let me dress myself,” he glowered and pulled on the jacket the rest of the way, zipping it up to his neck and pulling on the hood to protect himself from the rain.

Edward took one look at him and immediately broke off into laughter. 

“You’re the one who picked this out, pal, so you don’t get to laugh!” Harry glared even harder but when that didn’t work he stubbornly stomped on Edward’s foot. “This isn’t even that bad, you jerk!”

“I apologize,” Edward puffed out one last laugh then schooled his expression into one that resembled regret close enough that Harry gave it to him. “I think it looks cute.”

Harry glared at him suspiciously but obligingly held out a puffy arm so Edward could take his hand. His jacket wasn’t even that bad, sure it was a few inches thick and resembled more of a marshmallow than a jacket, but it was cold, and Edward had been to one to pick it anyways. And the hood was a must to keep his ears warm. And the hood had ears attached because it was the only one left in stock and he had needed a jacket.

“You ready?” Edward asked and at Harry’s nod pulled him in closer to his side and led them out the door, waiting patiently for Harry to lock it before ushering him into the car. “It’s easier to drive to the trail head,” he said in way of explanation when Harry looked at him questioningly.

The ride there was quiet, but not uncomfortable. Harry hadn’t taken his hood down despite being inside where the rain couldn’t touch him, and besides a slight smirk every time the man looked in his direction, there was no more mention of it. When they arrived at the trail head and got out of the car he was thankful for his foresight though, the rain was falling thickly and even when they stepped under the protection of the trees it didn’t stop completely.

“Do you trust me?” Edward asked him once they had gotten a few meters in the forest, turning around so he could stare at him with serious eyes.

“More than you’d think.”

Edward seemed to hesitate for a few seconds before walking up to him and crouching down slightly. “Climb on up then.”

“Umm,” Harry stalled as he stared down as the muscles peering up at him even through the light jacket Edward had on. “I’m not so sure its a good idea for me to add to your weight while it’s raining. If you fall I’m going down with you.”

“I’m not going to fall or drop you, and your weight is negligible to me,” Edward promised, then with a bit more petulance in his tone, “You said you trusted me.”

Cheater, Harry thought sullenly as he reluctantly clambered on the back in front of him, wrapping his legs tightly around his waist and clenching tight to his should blades. “I don’t like this,” he whimpered and ducked his face down to hide. When Edward asked if he trusted him he hadn’t thought it would include risking his life by allowing someone to hike on unsteady ground with him on his back. His father was a sheriff, he knew the statistics of hiking deaths up here. Unexpected landslides, sudden rock faces, dirt that gives way into steep falls. 

“You’ll be fine,” Edward brought on hand up to affectionately stroke a shoulder before standing and hiking Harry up further on his back, holding back an adoring grin when Harry made another quiet whimpering noise and nuzzled his head into the crook of his neck. “Just close your eyes, I’ll tell you when it’s fine to open them.” He gave Harry a few seconds to settle into a comfortable position and shut his eyes before starting the run in the direction of the clearing. Harry clearly was able to sense their fast speed since hid hands had tightened considerably around his neck, but as Edward had suggested his eyes remained closed with his head tucked into his neck. 

When he reached the clearing he slowly down his pace into a gentle jog before finally stopping in the center of the clearing in order to avoid jarring the precious cargo on his back. “You can open you eyes now, Harry,” he granted permission but to his amusement Harry only made a quiet noise and made no move to remove his face from its position. 

He waited a few more seconds before he gently untangled the arms from his neck and maneuvered the somewhat shaking form so he was more or less standing in front of him. And by more or less, he meant that Harry was now clinging to the front of him. He laughed quietly but obliged him, feeling much too satisfied and comfortable to break the embrace as he brought a hand up to soothingly brush through the inky tresses that had been revealed after the wind had blown his hood back.

“‘m not dead?” Harry eventually mumbled, finally peeling himself away from the patient figure. 

“No, you’re not dead,” Edward puffed out. “I promised that you’d be safe, and that’s not something I take lightly.”

“You were running fast,” Harry said it in an almost accusatory manner but Edward understood it for what it was. 

“I was.” Harry didn’t seem afraid by this information, more curious. At the very least, he was making no movements to step away from him or even shrug off the hand that Edward had purposefully left splayed on his waist.

“You’re not human, are you?”

“No.”

Harry fidgeted but still didn’t pull away. Instead, he reached out for a hand that Edward obligingly gave him, smiling a bit as Harry mindlessly played with his fingers before looking up.

“Are you a vampire?”

It didn’t even take Edward a full second to decide before he was agreeing with the soft question. Rosalie was surely going to kill him for not trying harder, but at this moment he couldn’t have cared any less. Instead of the fear he’d been expecting from the fragile human, Harry was staring up at him with wide and trusting eyes, fingers still sliding around his own even though he knew the cold must have been making his numb by now.

“I’m not afraid of you, you’d never hurt me.” The confidence in the quiet voice was a dual torture.

“No?” Edward mused, though he already knew that answer. He’d questioned it enough himself in the beginning, when he’d first caught sight of the beautiful creature.

“No.”

“You are aware of my diet then? You read the book last night, you know how much of a threat I could pose to you…”

“51 people die a year in the United States from lightning strikes,” Harry pointed out stubbornly and Edward couldn’t help but close his eyes and laugh freely at that statement. 

“I adore you,” he murmured once his laughter had gone and his smile was dying. “But I can’t take any risks with your safety. Do you even understand how dangerous I could be? Can you comprehend how quickly one wrong move could kill you? Even now, I could break your delicate little fingers from flexing a single muscle. I could hurt you,” Edward pleaded. 

“I wouldn’t mind if you hurt me,” Harry whispered out, ignoring the burning gaze and instead focusing on the so-called threatening fingers in his hands. The long pale fingers were ice cold but not enough for him to shy away from them.

“That’s not the right response,” Edward growled, and his earlier laughter seemed to have vanished completely.

“I don’t care, I’d rather be hurt by you than another.”

“I wouldn’t let anyone else hurt you.”

Harry sighed at the growing anger he could hear in the terse tone and dropped the fingers before shuffling closer to the stoic figure and tentatively bringing his arms around him in an embrace that was returned almost immediately. “I’ve been afraid of a lot of things and a lot of people but you aren’t one of them,” he assured him. “Even if you do drink human blood.”

“Animal blood,” Edward corrected, and Harry blinked up at him with confused eyes.

“My family lives off of animal blood, we don’t drink from humans. Though the temptation is still there, the longer we resist the easier it gets. Jasper is still learning to control his impulses.

“Jasper is the one with blonde hair?”

“Yes, he’s the youngest of the family.”

“And you?”

“I am the youngest in age, but I’ve been a vampire the longest, except for Carlisle.”

Harry wanted to ask him more questions about his family lineage but a loud boom of thunder nearby interrupted his thought process and left him to burrow inside Edward’s arms. “Stop,” he complained, both scolding the sky for its anger and Edward for the laughter that erupted as soon as he’d flinched.

“It’s not funny,” he scolded the figure in front of him. “It's just, it’s so loud.” The complaint reminded him of something else he had read and, thunder forgotten, he peered up at his partner. “How well can you hear?”

“A good distance. Far enough to know when James gets home before he arrives in the driveway. I can hear creatures around us now, going back a good amount of distance. We’ve never bothered to measure the exact distance though.”

Edward answered the questions freely, and that small bit of openness gave Harry confidence to continue his inquiries. “How’d you meet the rest of your family?”

“Through various ways. Carlisle and I met first when I was sick in the hospital, then he found and Esme and later Rosalie. Rosalie found Emmett, and Jasper and Alice came to us at a later date already changed.”

“Oh, was Rosalie sick too?”

Edward hesitated briefly and flipped their hands so that Harry’s was now held in his then he tucked both on them in his pocket to keep his human’s fragile fingers warm. “She was, however, that’s her own story to tell.”

“There’s something else,” Harry narrowed his eyes and stared down the vampire across from him. Edward had been so honest so far, what could he possibly want to hide now?

“Carlisle originally had changed Rosalie so that she could be a…companion for me. He and Esme though that I was too lonely.”

Oh, so that’s what. He waited a few seconds, wiggling his fingers hesitantly in Edward’s firm hand, “Were you?”

“No, my interests don't exactly lie within the female variety,” Edward smirked briefly before the smile fell away and his expression seemed to darken. “Though it might have been better had we got along. I’m not good for you, Harry.”

“I trust you.”

“You shouldn’t,” the words were forced out through clenched teeth and Edward’s body visibly tensed up even though his hand remained gently cradling Harry’s.

“That’s my choice to make. I’m not the fragile little flower you think I am,” Harry glowered back at him, equally unwilling to back down. Edward’s mood changes were giving him whiplash and it was starting to hurt his head even more than the fall had. One minute he was telling him all these things and hugging him then the next moment he was warning him to stay away.

“I beg to differ,” came the dry response and Harry had to take a calming breath before he tried to hit Edward. It would only hurt him, judging by the subtle strength Edward was hiding away. Harry was just opening his mouth to rebut his statement when the pale figure took his hand of out his pocket and sent a worrying glance up at the sky. “It looks like the storm’s about to get worse. Assuming that you’d like to avoid any more thunder and lightning, I should really get you home.” 

What a fucking cop out, he thought with equal amounts of amusement and irritation, but Edward didn’t even give him time to gift his approval before he was picking him up and moving him to his back, letting him adjust his arms and legs quickly before he was taking off at fast enough speeds to make his head dizzy. 

He stopped at the edge of the tree line after what seemed like only seconds. “You okay back there, partner?” he laughed and if Harry didn’t feel so sick he’d have given him a piece of his mind. As it was, it took all his willpower to not slide off his back like a bag of potatoes. That were made out of jelly, because now that he thought about it, potatoes didn’t really slide that well. But he was getting off point now…

“Fine,” he said weakly then carefully detached his legs and let his feet find the ground before dropping his arms as well. “And for your information, I like you, Edward Cullen, and you’re not going to scare me away.”

“I’ll keep that under advisement,” Edward agreed with a significantly softer smile. The bitterness seemed to have faded from the edges of his expression, leaving only the impression of pain hidden behind his warm eyes.

“Good,” Harry declared, then after only a millisecond pause of consideration, darted out to press a warm kiss to the firm lips above him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! College has been kicking my ass. I'm taking 21 credits this semester in addition to practicum hours so really sorry for the lack of update. I wasn't really that much of a fan of this chapter, so hopefully next one will be better! We're about ready to start getting into some drama though *cackles evilly*

Chapter 12  
The kiss left Edward frozen for a brief second, unnoticed by Harry who had already taken half a step back after the unexpected peck. 

“Was that okay?” He questioned innocently.

In response Edward pulled him closer once more and offered him another, slower, kiss. Harry melted into his embrace, despite the wind whipping round them and the threatening roll of thunder nearby, until another crack of lightning made him jolt in the cold arms. 

“I’m beginning to understand your aversion to thunder,” Edward smirked wryly before affectionately pulling the hood of Harry’s jacket over his head again, it having fallen down during the run. 

Harry snorted but otherwise didn’t respond as they walked towards the jeep parked alongside the trees. “Your brother didn’t mind you borrowing his car?” he asked, half in curiosity half as a distraction from the hands that were currently buckling him into the jeep’s complicated seat belt system. 

“No. Rosalie’s currently working on the engine of my car, though I’m not sure if she’s fixing it or making it worse,” the last part was said in an ironic tone that Harry immediately caught. 

“Why would she be making your car worse? Does she not know much about mechanics?”

Edward winced slightly as he slid into the driver’s seat and started up the engine. “Rosalie is…a very opinionated individual-“

“-so she doesn’t like me,” Harry finished for him, feeling his stomach twist at the knowledge that a member of Edward’s family disliked him. 

“She doesn’t like the idea of you,” Edward corrected. “She’s jealous, both of our relationship and the fact that you’re a human,” He turned his head to the side slightly so Harry could see his genuine expression. “Rosalie didn’t have quite the same experiences as the rest of my family, that you must understand. She never wanted this for herself, and seeing human’s go about their lives makes her bitter in a sense.”

Harry was quiet as he took in Edward’s words. He felt better knowing that it wasn’t his personality that Rosalie disliked, but how could Rosalie be jealous of him? He was just a tiny, inconsequential being. He was a small kid from England whose boyfriend had beaten him up badly enough that he’d moved countries. Rosalie, on the other hand, was stunningly gorgeous and poised and seemingly so confident. It was baffling.

“You okay, partner?” Edward asked concernedly at Harry’s silence.

“Uh huh, just thinking,” Harry said dismissively. Then, having sparked a memory, turned in his seat and narrowed his eyes accusatively at the driver. “You can’t read my thoughts, right?”

“Would you mind if I could?”

Harry sighed and turned back in his seat. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I think it would scare me a bit at first, having all my thought read. But I trust you, even if you can sense everything I think.”

Edward chuckled as he pulled into Harry’s driveway. “I can’t, though I am equally grateful and somewhat horrified by your readiness to trust a vampire. You’re the only creature so far that I’ve been unable to read,” he mused. 

“Oh,” Harry raised his eyebrows in shock. “Does that mean something is wrong with me?”

At that, Edward’s grin turned into loud chuckles that continued even as he came around to help Harry detangle himself from his seat. “I tell you about being able to read minds, and you think that you’re the one who has something wrong with them,” he murmured affectionately, leaning down to kiss Harry on the forehead.

“It’s a valid question!” Harry argued.

“Well then, I have a question for you.”

Harry looked at Edward’s innocent face with a measure of wariness. “What?” he questioned cautiously. Edward’s smile looked much too suspicious right now.

“Since we have the rest of the day free, how would you like to meet my family? I know they’re all very excited to meet you outside of the scene of a car accident,” the vampire’s lips twitched in obvious amusement when Harry’s lips turned into a stern frown. 

“It wasn’t even an accident! I didn’t even touch your car, you prat,” he pouted. “Besides it wasn’t like I even expected anyone to be coming down that road.”

“Mmm,” Edward hummed, and feeling liberated by his new found freedom to kiss his partner, leaned forward to chastely kiss his lab partner again. “Is that a yes?” he whispered against the soft, warm lips.

Harry minutely nodded in agreement, nervousness swirling in his stomach at the thought of meeting all of Edward’s relatives. What if they hated him? Well, Rosalie already did, but he definitely didn’t want to others to dislike him!

“Can I at least change my jacket first?” he grumbled as he slid out of the seat and started marching towards the front door. Once again he bent down and pulled the spare keep from under the rock, to which Edward audibly groaned.

“Would you please keep that somewhere else?” he practically begged.

“Why? It’s a good rock!” he defended, snickering when Edward didn’t seem to find his joke amusing.

“It’s one the of the most predictable hiding places, you might as well leave your door permanently unlocked,” he nimbly stole the keys from Harry’s fingers and slid them into the lock, pocketing them after. “I’ll just keep these until you find a proper place to put them.”

“Alright, alright,” Harry yielded. “I’m going to go run upstairs, I’ll be back down in a sec, ‘k?”

Edward leaned back against the living room couch and gave a crooked smirk. “I’ll be here,” he promised, watching as Harry jogged up the staircase. He could hear him make the landing then banging around in his dresser for a few seconds. At one point he heard a louder than usual bang, followed by a curse, and had to restrain his chuckles. Harry really was adorably clumsy.

“Found a jacket,” Harry tumbled down the stairs, hair somewhat mused and cheeks flushed but in his hands he held a black down jacket. “This one is decidedly more normal.”

“Normal tends to a relative term in my family,” Edward murmured wryly as he lead the way back outside while Harry tugged on his jacket, leaving his white on on the couch. 

“Is everyone going to be there?” Harry questioned as he climbed in. This time he reached for the buckle before Edward could, confident he could figure it out now that he’d worn it twice. It took him a few seconds, but he got it buckled around him in the time it took Edward to climb into the drivers seat and start the engine.

“Rosalie will be out hunting,” Edward answered, looking at Harry in the corner of his eye to see how he reacted to that. Instead of the fear he expected, Harry appeared to be more relieved. Curious little creature.

“Oh,” Harry didn’t know how to feel about that. He didn’t want to kick Rosalie out of her own house, but at the same time he was definitely relieved that he wouldn’t have to face her today. 

The trees were whipping by at a ridiculously fast speed as they both sat in silence for a few seconds.

“My dad would love to pull you over, ya know,” Harry commented casually. 

“Oh?”

“He always complains that no one ever breaks the law here. Seriously, how have you never gotten caught before?” Harry narrowed his eyes and turned in his seat to stare demandingly at his driver.

In response, Edward merely smirks and tapped his forehead. 

“Cheater,” Harry glared mulishly.

In response Edward took the next turn sharply, making Harry fly forward before he was caught by the harness. The trees were getting thicker by this point, and the road was entirely empty but for them. “Rude,” Harry huffed but his attention was drawn to the white house that he could see emerging from the trees.

The view was stunning. They had arrived at some sort of clearing that was surrounded by thick evergreen trees covered in moss. These were substantially thicker than the ones he usually saw on the side of the roads while driving through town, and much taller as well. In the distance he could see the beginning of a stream that doubtlessly grew larger as it joined the tree line. More majestic than that, however, was the large white house sitting on the edge of the clearing. How they kept a white house looking so clean in the forrest he had no idea, but it was remarkably beautiful in the surroundings.

“Not what you were expecting?” Edward asked with a chuckle as he saw harry’s surprised gaze.

“Not really?” Harry admitted with a wry quirk of his lips. He unbuckled himself from the contraction after a few seconds of trying to remember the order, then slid out of his seat and grabbed Edward’s hand as the vampire was already at his side.

“You ready?” Edward teased lightly but Harry shook his head in trepidation. He definitely was not that confident in this meeting. The only time he’d seen everyone was when he’d nearly crashed his car, and Doctor Cullen only when in the hospital.

Edward laughed but still pulled his hand gently, encouraging him to follow him in. Immediately upon stepping into to foyer he was accosted by Edward’s tiny sister who wrapped her strong arms around his in a hug that basically lifted him off his feet.

“Alice!” Esme scolded from the background, “That’s not polite to do without introducing yourself first.”

“But we’re going to be best friends!” Alice smiled and let go of Harry who was smiling sheepishly at the rest of the family who was gathered at the entrance to the room. “Right?” she stared demandingly at the human who nodded.

“Nice try, Alice,” Edward shook his head and pulled Harry closer to his side. “Everyone, this is Harry, as I’m sure you know.”

“Hi,” Harry practically whispered, feeling uncomfortable by all their attention turned on him. This was always his least favorite part about relationships. Just the pure awkwardness when meeting the family like this could make anyone cringe. 

Fortunately he didn’t have long to think on it before Esme was stepping up and giving him a hug as well, though this one was much more gentle than Alice’s. 

“It’s very nice to meet you,” she whispered in his ear and he blushed and returned the phrase as the rest of the family stepped closer, Esme’s hug seemingly a symbol of acceptance.

“So this is the human, huh?” Emmett stepped up. Reflexively, Harry took a half step back closer to Edward.

“You’re way taller than you look like from afar,” Harry said in half awe, half intimidation when Emmett pouted at his movements.

“Emmett stop scaring my human,” Edward threatened in a half joking manner as Emmett pouted harder.

“I’m only tall because you’e like…5 feet!” He protested.

“Emmett!” practically all the Cullen’s scolded but Harry let out a crackle of laughter. 

“Fair point,” he smiled at the giant and offered a hand to shake, but instead of accepting it, Emmett also pulled him into a hug. 

“So glad that you’re here. Seriously, you had no idea how annoying old Eddie here was before he met you,” he stage whispered. Edward growled sharply at him for his comment but Emmett just laughed loudly.

“It’s true,” Jasper commented from the background, “and you weren’t even forced to feel his emotions,” he fake shuddered. Unlike the rest of the Cullens, however, he stayed his distance.

Edward glared furiously at his family. He knew this would be a mistake. Harry hadn’t even been here for five minutes and his whole family had already embarrassed him one way or another. 

“I’m sorry for my family’s…antics,” Carlisle was standing besides Esme and smiling congenially, if a bit concernedly, at him. “How’s your head doing?”

Harry cracked a smile and ruefully touched the back of his head. “Fantastic,” then in a more serious tone, “…and the hallucinations have stopped too.”

He had meant it as a joke but it clearly wasn’t taken as such when Carlisle immediately grew concerned. “Have you been having hallucinations?” he questioned urgently.

“Sorry! Sorry, yea no, that was just a bad joke. Note to self, jokes about hallucinations do not go over well,” he reassured quickly, noting how tense Carlisle and Edward were. “Definitely have not been having hallucinations.”

It was silent for a fraction of a second before Emmett burst out into loud chuckles and gave his hair a rough tussle. “I like him,” he declared with a broad grin.

“Careful with his head,” Edward glared venomously at his brother who held his hands up in the international symbol of surrender and took a step back. 

Edward took a second to monitor the thoughts of his family. Emmett was still mentally laughing over Harry’s comment about hallucinations, while Alice was thinking about everything that her and Harry were going to do together. As if he’d allow it, he’s fearful of what those two could accomplish while together. Esme, on the other hand, was excited about welcoming someone else into her family and was already talking about stocking the kitchen full of food again.

Carlisle was still somewhat concerned about Harry’s head injuries, though he looking gratified that there were, in fact, no hallucinations to be spoken of. Then too, he shared the excitement of the rest of the family. As if sensing what he was doing, Carlisle sent a fatherly smile his way.

‘I like him, and I do believe the family feels the same,’ Carlisle directed the thought to him.

He offered his father a grateful smile. He was still worried about Rosalie, but everyone else seemed to love his little partner. Even Jasper, usually cold and aloof, was smiling and his thoughts were welcoming Harry as a new younger brother.

“Edward,” Harry snickered and poked him in the side. He came from his thoughts and looked around the room to find most of its inhabitants staring at him with raised eyebrows.

“Yes?” he questioned.

“Emmett asked if you had shown him the clearing today,” Alice snickered.

“Not the one deeper in the forest.”

“Why not that one? I thought you were going to take him to see it today,” Alice demanded as she skipped forward to stand closer to the human who was still smirking at him for his lack of attention.

He glared at his lab partner to show him just what he thought about his amusement then slowly smirked. “I would’ve but Harry’s afraid of thunder,” he said smoothly, snickered when Harry’s smile turned to a glare.

“You prat,” he muttered mulishly as the rest of his family started laughing. “It’s a logical fear!” he protested.

“But…it’s thunder,” Emmett said incredulously.

“Well it’s loud,” he glared at the giant, daring him to say anything else.

“It’s perfect for playing baseball in!” Emmett argued with sudden excitement. “Edward, can we please play tonight with your little human?”

“No.”

“It’ll be fun!” he argued and Alice joined in, wheedling him in her thoughts until he groaned out loud and turned to face his so called human. “Harry?”

Harry looked carefully around the room, weighed the benefits of either decision before filling turning to Emmett and giving a hesitant nod. He didn’t want to annoy the family by disagreeing and besides, Edward looked put out enough at the idea of playing and it was his fault in the first play for mentioning the thunder. He deserved to pay for his comment.

“Don’t feel pressured by Emmett to say yes, dear,” Esme chimed in, frowning sternly at Emmett. 

“It’s okay,” he smiled at her, “I don’t mind, and I packed a jacket!” he said cheerfully.

“Yes!” Emmett and Alice cheered while Edward groaned again and pulled Harry into his side.

“Why do you want to play in the thunder?” Harry asked curiously as he nestled closer to Edward’s embrace. They way they phrased it seemed like they could only play, or at least preferred to, while the weather was bad.

“It can get a little…loud” Edward confessed with an air of embarrassment. “It’s not exactly normal baseball since we can hit the ball much harder and further. If there isn’t thunder, the sound of us playing tends to draw attention.”

“Oh,” Harry pondered that for a few seconds before concluding that it made sense. Besides, this way he could just pretend that the thunder was the sound of the ball.

Edward hummed in response and chastely kissed the side of his forehead. “Changed your mind?” he asked hopefully but Harry resolutely shook his head.

“Nope! You’re the one that mentioned I was afraid of thunder so now you have to deal.”

“I like him,” Alice cackled with Emmett.

“Should we wait till it gets a bit darker or go now?” Jasper spoke up from his place standing on the far wall.

“Might as well go now,” Carlisle added. “That way we can drive there while it’s still light out and get set up. We don’t want to chance the thunder dying down either.”

Quick as lightning, no pun intended, Emmett was cheering and jogging to the door, jeep keys already in his hand. “I call driving!”

“You will drive safely, Emmett Cullen,” Esme said sternly but she too made her way to the door with a happy smile on her face.

Edward grabbed his wrist before he could follow and pulled him closer once more, bringing him into a tight embrace that lasted until Emmett called their names and Alice make obnoxious noises and Jasper audibly sighed but Harry wouldn’t have minded either way. He just smiled into Edward’s chest and thought about how grateful he was in this single moment.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Happy holidays to everyone and I hope the New Years brings everyone a good new start! I've been dealing with major writers block, but now that I'm getting into more plot-themes chapters, they should hopefully be getting easier to write quicker I'm hoping to get a new chapter out soon, so if anyone has any idea, scenes they might like to see, etc, send me a message or comment and I'll see what I can do!
> 
> Also, as always, this work does not have a editor. If there are any mistakes, if you bring it to my attention I can easily fix them. Thank you!

Chapter 13

“We should’ve packed you two jackets,” Edward fussed. It had only taken Emmett a few minutes to drive them into the clearing, and upon stepping out of the car, Harry had been met with a rush of icy wind. 

“It’s not even that cold out,” Harry promised with a small smile. “Besides, London gets much colder in the winter.”

Edward stared at him with a calculating gaze for a few more seconds before eventually sighing, “Tell me if you get too cold,” he commanded and Harry nodded.

“I call second!” Emmett bounded past them, yelling excitedly and breaking their concentrated staring. 

“And what base do you normally take?” Harry changed the subject smoothly, Emmett’s excited nature making him grin in amusement.

“Outfield, I’m the fastest runner,” he said proudly, much to Jasper’s amusement from a few yards away.

“Better go claim your position then before someone beats you to it,” then, when Edward didn’t move, he sighed in an exaggerated manner and made a motion to shove him in the direction. “I’ll be fine over here.”

“Harry can help me umpire,” Esme came up next to them. “Since everyone knows how often you all try to cheat.”

“I don’t cheat, I just play strategically,” Emmett called out, and with that, Edward laughed and went to go join his brother. Carlisle also took the pitchers place while Alice and Jasper stepped up to the plate to bat.

Esme stepped closer to Harry and blew the whistle to signify the start of the game. “Emmett hits the hardest and Edward runs the faster, so generally they play on the same teams. When Rosalie is here, she joins Carlisle, Alice, and Jasper,” she explained. “I usually umpire to keep them all in line.”

Harry snickered at the accusations that everyone clearly heard and leaned back on his heels to watch the next play. It seemed as if everyone was waiting for something, and then, as soon as that thought came into his mind it was clear what was happening. A loud strike of thunder struck in the sky just as Carlisle pitched the ball.

A loud cracking noise reverberated around the trees, making it painfully obvious why they had needed to wait for the thunder to play. As soon as Jasper had hit the ball with the metal bat that had been lying on the ground, Edward bolted off to the trees. It was way too fast for Harry to follow with his eyes, but the impression of the trees rustling made it obvious where his partner had went.

“Wow,” he remarked, eyes wide. He had felt Edward running fast, but his eyes had been closed then, and feeling it wasn’t quite the same as seeing it.

Esme laughed at his awestruck declaration, “Don’t let Edward hear you,” She smirked playfully, “It’ll give him an even bigger head than he currently has.”

They continued to play for several more minutes before Esme seemed to tense in her step next to him. “Foul!” She called out, “Carlisle, you old cheat!”

That seemed tone the signal for everyone to take a break, because not even a second later everyone had left their places on the field to congregate around each other.  
“So your family doesn’t like to play fair, huh?” Harry teased lightly when Edward came to stand behind him. 

“We like to call it taking advantage of the situations given to us,” he laughed and wrapped his arms around the smaller male. “Have you enjoyed it so far?”

“Definitely interesting,” Harry nodded with a mock serious expression. “I’ve always wanted to watch America’s favorite pastime. Have to say though, it hasn’t really lived up to all the hype yet.”

“Why don’t you keep watching, and I’ll be sure to impress,” Edward’s lips morphed into a sly smirk and Harry furiously blushed at the obvious flirting in front of his family.

“Yea, yea,” he bit his bottom lip and playfully pushed the arms away from his front so he could turn around. Then, quick as he could, stepped up on his tippy-toes and pressed a light kiss to the tip of the icy nose. “I’m sure you will.”

“Stop flirting and hurry up!” Emmett called loudly, making Harry groan in embarrassment and Edward glare before he stepped away, gave Harry one last smile, and rushed to rejoin his family.

“Edward’s up to bat now,” Esme told Harry, who payed closer attention now to the proceedings on the field, despite not really being able to visually process everything. He could still tell that Edward had hit it far though, because he managed to make it to third before the ball was passed back to the pitcher.

“How do you know which one wins?” Harry asked innocently, to which Esme laughed. “Whoever gets more points at the end of the final inning wins,” she smiled kindly at him.

“Oh,” Harry didn’t quite understand what she meant by innings, as he had never heard of the rules of baseball. He figured that Edward would tell him later though if he asked.

“The thunder looks like it might be dying down soon though, so we’ll likely have to cut the game short.”

Harry looked up at the sky and indeed the darker clouds looked like they were about to pass. That, plus the fact that he hadn’t seen any bright lightening in the past few minutes, make Esme’s estimation likely. At least it hadn’t started raining again though, while his jacket was thick enough to keep him warm, it tended to get wet and stay wet because it didn’t wick off moisture that well. Not that he would tell Edward that, of course, he just knew the man would have a fit.

“Are you sure you aren’t cold?” Esme murmured in a motherly voice, glancing to the side so she could stare at his form critically.

Before Harry could reassure her that he wasn’t indeed cold, Edward had called a stop to the game and was standing in front of him with a worried frown.

“If you ask me one more time if I’m cold…” Harry trailed off his threat and glared challengingly at the vampire.

Edward looked like he was about to argue, but just as suddenly as his mouth was open he seemed to rethink. “The thunder has just about died down anyways, we can’t play for much longer without people becoming suspicious of the noise.”

Alice was nodding in agreement a few feet off, her nose scrunched in concentration, and as soon as she nodded at Edward’s words, the rest of the family seemed to begin moving in unison to the jeep.

Harry titled his head but obligingly followed Edward when the man took his hand and pulled him along. Luck was seemingly on his side, for as soon as they made it to the car a light drizzle began to fall, the drips echoing in the forest all around them. “What timing!” Harry grinned slyly at Edward, “Good thing too because my jacket is not at all waterproof.”

Edwards face mirrored the horror he felt at those words, the sight of it making Harry break out into laughter that were quickly echoed by his family.

“Harry! You’re going to catch a cold,” Edward scolded. “You simply cannot go out in winter with an insufficient jacket.”

Harry schooled his face and nodded solemnly in response, which took a quite considerable effort on his part considering Emmett was two feet away and still laughing merrily.

Edward looked at his mate suspiciously and hummed a light acknowledgment of Harry’s seriousness. “A little touch of cold won’t hurt,” Harry winked and grabbed Edwards hand before he could even think about pulling away. They stayed like that for the rest of the ride home.

By the time Harry arrived back home, he was well exhausted.

“Where’ve you been tonight?” James was reclining back on the couch, a beer in his hand and the TV playing some mindless show that he knew his dad wasn’t really paying attention to.

“Met Edward’s family then played a little baseball,” he plopped down on the couch next to his dad. “It was fun, I’m bloody tired now though. How was your day?”

James grimaced and took a swig of drink. “New murder case, been reading over the documents all day with no success.”

Harry sat forward, eyebrows scrunching in consideration. “Any leads?”

“We’re guessing that they’re not from around here, though even if they were we’d be at a loss. No evidence, no motive, just a body. Didn’t even attempt to hide it either, the victim was found just strewn carelessly on the docks on the outskirts of the town, it’s like the body just dropped from out of nowhere.”

Harry sat in silence, taking in the information. A murder in forks? And yet, no one had been talking about it. At least, not that he knew of, and rumors tended to spread fast in such a small town. “Was it just a straight homicide? Could it have been a familiar relationship?”

James thumbed the TV remote to switch the background noise off. “Now that there’s the interesting part. The body was covered with wounds; it looked as if she had been assaulted by a number of people.”

“So?” Harry asked in a rather blunt manner. True, a murder in Forks was surprising, but a large portion of murders involved some degree of assault, even if just as a means of control.

“There were no defensive wounds. No signs of struggle. No scabs around the wrists or bruising of joints that would suggest the use of restraints. Nothing.” James ran a tired hand over his face then chased it down with another long drink. “It’s baffling, and nothing this town has seen since I’ve been here. It’s completely out of left wing.”

“Murders can happen anywhere,” Harry reminded, though even as he said it, he knew that the circumstances behind this one were odd indeed.

James nodded his head silently, both thinking along the same lines. 

“There could have been one initial attack that left her unable to defend herself,” Harry supplied after a few seconds of thinking.

“We thought about that. There’s no one blow that stands out as an initial attack. The coroner also confirmed that it’s doubtful any singular injury present would have been forceful enough to knock the woman unconscious. The rest of the injuries were also sustained while the victim was still alive.”

“Well then, chief, looks like you’re going to have your work cut out for you,” he shook his head. 

“In the meantime, I want security around the town improved. Have you been making sure to lock your windows at night?”

Harry offered his dad an impish smile, “I will now!”

James groaned and hung his head. “You’d think that being the son of a police chief would have made you more paranoid,” he grumbled.

“You’d think,” Harry snickered. “I’ll go check that now, I think I’m going to call it an early night.”

He rose from the couch, took a long stretch, then made way for the kitchen to start a pot of coffee; he would bet anything that the man wouldn’t be catching any sleep tonight, too focused on trying to solve the case.

“Night,” James called after him.

“Night!” 

When he got to his room he made a beeline for the window, scanning out it for a brief second before making sure the latch on top was secure. Which it wasn’t. Odd. He leaned back on his heals and considered the window with suspicious eyes. While he generally didn’t check to make sure his windows were locked, he also never opened them. It was the middle of winter, and the air was much too cold for him to be opening the window and letting all the heat out.

“You’re just being paranoid,” he reminded himself. He stayed in his place for a brief moment then shook his head to clear it, ignoring the brief twinge, and started to get changed for bed. Despite having a doctors note for the rest of the week, he figured that the sooner he could end the gossip and rumors, the better off he would be. Just before he drifted off the sleep, he could have sworn he saw another flash of movement in the window.

By the next morning, the murder case was still fresh in his mind, alongside the weird movements he’d been seeing outside his room. He could tell his father was bothered too, judging by the half empty pot of coffee and the soft noise of the TV that was obviously left on all night.

“I’ll be at school today!” Harry called out to his father who he could hear upstairs in the master bathroom. “Any requests for dinner?”

“I’ll probably be at the office late,” James called back. “Have a good day at school, care bear!”

Harry narrowed his eyes at the nickname but let it slide in favor of pouring himself a cup of coffee to go and throwing his backpack around a shoulder. Honestly, his mornings had much improved after the brief period of icy walkways had passed. Getting to his car every morning had been a nightmare, and ended more often than not with his arse on the ground and his cup of coffee spilled all over him. He wasn’t sure if it was a weather fluke then, or the lack of ice was a fluke currently, but either way, he wasn’t going to question it.

He felt a keen sense of peace when he climbed into the drivers seat and turned on the engine. He used to drive all the time in London, just to escape for a bit and live with the peace of his thoughts. In Forks, though, it was another story. For one, the turns still confused the hell out of him, and besides the fact that he had just gotten his car dropped off from Seattle, Edward usually drove them both when they were going anywhere.

Still though, he took his time backing out of the driveway, and by the time he got to the main road, his confidence was returning. He turned on the radio station to the only channel that got service - smooth jazz, of all things - and drove the rest of the few minutes to school in a good mood.

The good mood didn’t last long.

As soon as he pulled into the Forks High School parking lot, heads in all directions were turning to watch him. And sure enough, as soon as he parked and stepped out of the car, people began to gossip with one another.

“Harry! Are you okay?” Cedric came up behind him suddenly.

“I’m fine,” He smiled reassuringly at his friend. 

“I’m so sorry, honestly, I didn’t mean to,” Cedric rushed out, keeping pace with the black haired boy as he set off to his building.

“And yet, it still happened,” A smooth voice interrupted.

Harry shook his head and sent Edward a scolding glance as the vampire took pace besides him. In response, Edward sent him an angelic smile.

“You’re not angry with me, right?” Cedric nudged Harry with his elbow, seemingly unfazed by Edward’s steady distasteful glare.

Harry not-so-subtly poked Edward in the side for his rudeness. “Of course not, Cedric. I know you didn’t mean to, just don’t be offended when I stay clear of you come PE.”

“Maybe you should skip PE for another day or so,” Edward murmured, Cedric forgotten in his concern. “Theres still the possibility for injury and you really should be more careful.”

“I’ll be fine, and if I need to, I’ll just sit on the bench.”

At Edward’s concerned face, Harry learned upwards and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek. “I promise.”

Edward smirked victoriously at Cedric over Harry’s mop of black hair. He could hear the surprised and angry thoughts being projected towards him by the angry blond male, but the juvenile nature of the insults just had him feeling more superior.

“Oh,” Harry grimaced in an embarrassed way and rocked backwards on his heels. “I suppose I probably shouldn’t have done that, huh?”

Edward tore his gaze away from Cedric and grabbed hold of Harry’s wrist to stop his movements. “What do you mean?”

Harry blushed and looked away, well aware of how much attention they were attracting. “I mean, I should’ve asked before, since we’re around so many people.”

“Why would that matter?” Edward asked, still confused by Harry’s words. He could hear though from surprise, concern, and curiosity surrounding him, though none mattered as much as the silent mind in front of him. How much he would give just to be able to read his stubborn one’s mind sometimes…

Harry shifted from foot to foot and once again surveyed the lingering people surrounding them “We’re going to be late for class,” he reminded the vampire.

“You have an excuse anyways.”

“Doesn’t mean I want to be late,” Harry argued and trying futile to tug the other male in the direction of the building.

Edward kept him there for a few more seconds before sighing and obligingly allowing Harry to lead him inside the building. “This discussion isn’t over,” he warned.

Harry was still blushing madly when he walked into his first period class, though Edward thankfully didn’t linger before stalking off to his own. He honestly didn’t see why the other man was making it into such a big deal. He knows he shouldn’t have just kissed him like that in public without asking, but there wasn’t much he could do about it now. The least he could do was acknowledge his apology.

And while Harry was busy regretting his actions, Edward was regretting not forcing Harry to explain why he had reacted as such. Surely Harry couldn’t have thought that he’d be upset. He knew that gossip bothered his little mate, but he could care less about the thoughts of others; decades of hearing every minuscule thoughts truly gave one the sense of indifference. Edward tuned in carefully to the few people he could tolerate in Harry’s class, trying to see if he could hear anything about why Harry had been so bothered, repeating it for every class period until it came time for lunch.

When the time before lunch period began to dwindle down, the vampire asked his teacher politely if he could be excused early, using his charm for extra measure. Only, when he reached the door to Harry’s current period, he was met by a suspicious lack of potent scent. Edward couldn’t help but silently laugh at the situation at hand. Clearly, he and Harry were meant for each other, that was, if he could even find him.

Well, he could either track Harry around the school and corner him, or he could text him. Or both, but he reasoned he’d start with a text first.

He pulled out his phone and found Harry’s name quickly enough, typing out a short “you’d better be in the cafeteria,” before hitting send. Not even a second later his phone vibrated, flashing a one word response of “naturally.”

Little minx. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he might have used an above-average speed to reach the cafeteria.

“Well fancy meeting you here,” Harry grinned cheekily at the stoic male. He had already found a table that was near the Cullen’s usual location, but situated more in a secluded corner.

“Hmm,” was Edward’s only response.

“So how’d you get out of class early then?” Harry continued on, seemingly uncaring of Edward’s determined stare.

“I asked. Why were you apologizing this morning?”

“What’s your favorite color? I feel as if I should have known your favorite color by now…” Harry took a large bite of his apple then stared down in stubborn consideration at the waxy red skin.

Edward raised a single eyebrow and stared so intensely that Harry couldn’t help but be drawn to look upwards.

Still though, Edward was going to have to do more than that to get Harry to admit his embarrassing mistake. “I bet it’s brown, you seem the type that would have a color like brown be their favorite.”

Edward stern facade broke down and he smiled crookedly at his partner. “It’s green,” he chuckled. “Now please stop your admittedly amusing deflections. Why were you upset this morning?”

A blush overtook the pale checks and Harry started to play with his fingers. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have just kissed you in public without asking. I just wasn’t thinking about how many people were around and-“

Edward cut off his ramblings with an unexpected kiss. Surprised by the sudden movement, Harry tried to lean back but an icy hand cradling the back of his head halted his movements and held him steady.

“Oh,” Harry said quickly when Edward finally released him. His wide eyes were staring at Edward in shocked confusion. So, he hadn’t minded then?

“I would’ve hoped that after these past few days, my feelings would have been bit more obvious,” Edward said intently, eyes unwaveringly piercing Harry’s, despite the sudden influx of students arriving in the cafeteria.

At that, Harry couldn’t help but smile. He had hoped that their relationship was developing, but then again, he didn’t exactly have the background knowledge of how a normal, healthy relationship was supposed to progress. 

The rest of the Cullens entered the room, but instead of going to their normal table, they made a beeline for the one Harry and Edward were sitting at. All except Rosalie and Emmett, who Harry assumed were avoiding the cafeteria/him. “How’s my little human doing?” Alice said cheerfully as she plopped down on the seat next to Harry and threw an arm around his shoulder.

“He’s fantastic,” Edward interrupted in a surly tone, “And he’s my human, not yours.”

“Can I just be my own human?”

Edward huffed out a laugh and kissed the side of his head, “I suppose that’s fine too.”

Alice rolled her eyes at the affection, “Stop hogging him, Edward,” She scolded, “I want to hang out with him too. Speaking of, what are you doing tonight?”

Harry smiling ruefully, “Homework, and I’ll probably have to stop by the police station too tonight to make sure my dad isn’t working himself into the ground.”

“Paperwork?”

Harry grimaced, “Something like that.”

“What about after?” Alice pressed.

“I don’t think theres anything, although there might be a town curfew set tonight,” Harry wasn’t necessarily positive that one would be set in place, but he knew that this new murder had the whole town’s police department on edge. Hell, it even had him on edge.

Alice seemed horrified at the news, eyes blown wide open and expressing horror. “A curfew! What are we even going to do all night if we’re stuck in the house,” she moaned to no one in particular.

“Umm, sleep?” Harry offered up. What on earth was this girl going on about? I mean, sure, he also wasn’t enthused about a possible curfew, but what would they be doing outside anyways.

“Alice, it’s not like we would ever get caught,” Jasper murmured in exasperation.

Alice and Edward ignored Jasper’s comment in favor of staring at Harry like he had grown another head. 

“What? Sleep hadn’t exactly been brought up yet,” Edward whispered to Alice in such a low and quick tone that Harry couldn’t understand.

Alice simply rolled her eyes at her brother and turned to stare at Harry expectantly. “Harry, love, we’re vampires. We don’t sleep,” she stage whispered.

“Or rather, can’t sleep,” Edward interjected.

“Oh,” Harry said in a rather dumb tone. “Well then, what do you normally do all night?”

His question seemed to trigger something, because as soon as he had finished Alice and Jasper started to smirk and Edward shifted uncomfortably. 

“Yea, Edward, what do you normally do at night?” Alice taunted.

Harry tilted his head and stared him down, “Yes, partner, what do you do at night?”

Edward said nothing, but Harry’s stare still didn’t waver. Finally, after a few more seconds of intense staring and avoidance, Jasper spoke up. “He usually goes to your house and watches you sleep.”

Harry’s eyes widened and he could help the laughter that bubbled up in his throat. Cute. Edward, on the other hand, didn’t seem so amused. A low rumbling was coming from his throat, and though Jasper didn’t look concerned, it did seem to crate a more tense atmosphere.

“It’s okay, Edward, I don’t mind,” Harry soothed, though his tone was still infused with merriment.

“Jasper shouldn’t have said anything,” Edward growled out.

“I’m glad he did, I was getting paranoid,” Harry insisted as he reached out to caress one of Edward’s tense fists.

“Paranoid?” Alice leaned forward, eyes taking on a concerned glint.

Before Harry could answer her, the bell rang signifying the end of the lunch period. “It’s nothing,” Harry reassured them even as he rose from his chair to throw away his half-eaten apple. Edward looked like he wanted to say something about his comment, but after a few seconds, he just asked if Harry was going to PE.

Ah, PE. Harry had completely forgotten about that dreaded part of the day. On one hand, he could skip the class, probably end up with one less injury, and not have to deal with the inevitable questions from all the gossipers in the class. Or he could go, potentially get hit in the head again, but also be able to stop and rumors before they spread even more.

Harry closed his eyes and groaned in defeat. “Yea, I’m going to PE.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter, and finally we're beginning to get into some plot. It's definitely making the writing easier! Though this chapter was, for some reason, more difficult to write. Anyways, hope you enjoy!
> 
> Also, I don't have a beta. So if anyone notices something is spelled wrong or my grammar is off, don't be afraid to comment or send a message :) I try to read through these chapters but sometimes I miss things and if you bring it up I'll definitely edit it. Thank you!

Chapter 14

“So are you and Cullen…together?” Cedric asked awkwardly.

Harry rolled his eyes to the heavens and said a quick prayer for patience. He had barely changed and stepped onto the courts before Cedric was by his side asking him about Edward, and if that wasn’t bad enough, he could also see Lavender listening in along with two blondes no more than three feet away. 

He would also bet his arse that Edward was listening in on other’s thoughts to see what his response was. Thankfully, Lavender stepped in before he was forced to answer.

“But are you guys like, together together? You do know that he’s a guy, right?”

Well, that was definitely just said. “Oh thank goodness,” he mock sighed, “I had thought so, but its still nice to hear it confirmed.”

Clearly the with didn’t find his sense of humor amusing because she gave him a testy glare. “But you’re not gay!”

“That’s certainly news to me!” Harry started laughing. It wasn’t like he had even tried to hide it, not after he had met Hermione and she informed him that James wasn’t shy about telling people about him.

“Well, as fun as this conversation has been, I’m going to go say hello to Neville,” Harry offered them a half wave then jogged over to his friend that he hadn’t seen since before the hospital, though they had been texting.

“Harry! I haven’t seen you all day, how are you? Why are you back at school already?” he chubby boy asked somewhat shyly.

“I figured the sooner I got back, the less rumors there would be.”

“I’m not so sure that worked,” Neville laughed nervously, “I’ve heard quite a few interesting rumors already.”

“Oh yea? Which one has been the most captivating?”

Neville’s cheeks heated up into a blush but the coach called everyone to attention before he could respond, and after that, they had all been split into teams the play basketball. Harry sat out while the were playing and helpfully offered to fill up water bottles.

By the end of class, he had run to the water fountain no less that ten times, and he had watched the coach yell at least a dozen times about “obvious” fouls and to “at least hide it better next time.”

He was going to go ahead and take a hard pass on playing basketball. 

In fact, this whole class period seemed to be rather pointless for him to attend, which he pointedly told his coach, who then promptly dismissed him to his car. Awesome.

He walked out the large gym doors only the find himself face to face with a certain pale, grinning vampire. 

“Don’t you ever have class?” 

“I could ask you the same,” Edward teased.

Harry had to concede to that point, though, to be fair, he did have a head injury. Edward was just skipping class for fun.

“PE was so boring, there was no way I would have been able to sit through another twenty minutes,” Harry complained. “And do you know what? The couch was totally encouraging fouls!” His obvious outrage amused Edward, though the vampire knew not to comment. Harry reminded him of a kitten trying to pretend to be a lion: furious, glaring, and yet still so adorable.

“It’s crazy! That’s probably not even supposed to be how they play. Now, basketball might not be as popular in London, but I still feel like some of it should be obvious. I mean, they were just running into each other! They were’t even trying to move out of the way.”

“They weren’t even moving, huh?“ Edward grinned. “That doesn’t seem very considerate of them.”

Harry turned his fiercest glare onto Edward. “You better not be making fun of me,” he warned.

“Of course not,” Edward promised solemnly before offering out a hand for Harry to take. When Harry accepted it, he had to take a quick steadying breath. While he had become more accustomed to Harry’s scent, there were still moments where it surprised him. And though it was getting much easier, he had still been hunting nearly every night to get control over his hunger.

“Are you okay?” Harry peered up to try to meet the darkening eyes. 

Edward shook the thoughts out of his head and offered the smaller boy a smile. “Everything is perfect,” he promised, bringing the hand up to kiss the knuckles. “Are you going to head to the sheriffs now?”

“I was planning on it.”

“Do you mind if I follow you there? I believe my father was also called in.”

Harry shrugged, “It’s fine with me, though I’m not sure how long I’ll be there.” He was partially going to check in and make sure his dad didn’t need anything, but he also wanted to know if they had found out any addition details. The details behind this case were simply bizarre and, as horrible as it sounded, he was somewhat bored with the quietness after living in a major city.

“That’ll be fine,” Edward started the pace walking towards the parking lot, hoping to get out before classes were released for the day. 

When they got to the parking lot Harry started laughing, “Did you really park next to me out of every other spot?”

“I wanted to be able to walk you to your car, so this saves me some time,” Edward tried to stay serious, those the slight crinkles around his eyes agave away his amusement.

“Fine, fine,” Harry snickered, “but you’re pulling out first. I will not be the one to dent your car because you parked close to an old, rusted truck.”

“Your truck couldn’t dent my car even if you wanted to,” Edward insisted.

“Wanna bet?”

“Not particularly,” was the somewhat sheepish answer. Harry smirked in victory and pulled his keys out of his backpack before allowing Edward to open his car door so he could clamber in the front seat to wait for Edward to back out.

As if he were showing off, Edward was in his car before Harry could blink and starting up the engine. He pulled out of his spot and turned in one smooth, quick movement, pulling forward to wait for Harry.

But see, Harry wasn’t used to owning a truck. In fact, he wasn’t used to owning a large car in general, and dammit if the other car hadn’t parked so close to him. Even though Edward had moved, his wheels and tail end were still very close to the other car. Maybe if he did it fast like Edward he would have better luck…

But no, apparently it didn’t work that way. 

“You stop laughing, Edward Cullen.” Harry growled out the window that was rolled down while Edward gave him directions. “I’ll have you know the back end of this truck is way bigger than your stupid car.”

Edward tried to school his expression as he backed Harry out of his space and told him how much room he had. “I’m sure it is, love,” he comforted, the nickname slipping out without notice.

Finally, Harry pulled out of his parking spot and sat fuming behind the steering wheel as Edward sauntered back to his own car. Stupid Edward, being all smug. Next time he was going to back out anyways and blame any dents or paint chipping on him.

Edward lead them all the way to the police department, where he parked his car on the other side of the lot, far away from any other vehicles.

“You think you’re funny, don’t you,” Harry pouted after his car door had been opened by the supposed gentleman.

“I just wanted to make sure we had an excess of room in case the police station becomes more busy,” he defended, but Harry saw through the feeble defense.

“That’s your dad’s car, right?” Harry asked, pointing to the car was was slightly off to the side of the building.

“Yes, he mentioned that he might be called in to examine some evidence,” Edward seemed distracted almost, watching the doors to the station with concentrated eyes.

Harry pursed his lips and waited alongside Edward for a few more seconds before motioning towards to door with his head. “Do you want to come inside?” But just as he said that, he could see the doors swinging to let Dr. Cullen and James out.

“Harry! I didn’t know you’d be stopping by,” James rushed forward to envelope Harry in a hug as if it hadn’t been hours ago that they’d just seen each other.

“I figured I’d stop by after school to check up on you,” he pulled back and ran a critical eye over the figure, “Have you eaten lunch yet?”

“Ahhhh, yes,” James drew out slowly, ending it with a sheepish smile.

“You’re a dirty liar,” Harry laughed, “You should probably eat something, you stayed up all night last night and I know that you didn’t eat breakfast.”

James looked sideways to where Carlisle and Edward were standing off to the side, quietly conversing with one another. “Dr. Cullen and I were just about to examine another crime scene. I promise I’ll be home for dinner though, care bear,” he promised.

Another crime scene? Had there been another murder? His face must have given something away because James pulled him into another, albeit more brief, hug. 

“There’s been another murder, closer to town this time. I’ll be announcing a town curfew tonight, but we wanted a chance to observe the scene before I made any announcements.”

Harry nodded quietly, his good mood from early gone. He couldn’t believe there had just been another murder, in Forks of all places.

“You okay, partner?” Edward asked lightly, and Harry looked up and saw that his dad and the doctor were already walking away to their respective cars.

“Have there ever been any murders here before?” he worried at his lip, apparently to Edward’s distress for the man quickly thumbed his lip free from his teeth.

Edward hesitated before replying, unsure of whether the information would comfort or worry the smaller one. Eventually, he decided on the truth. “We haven’t had any major crimes in a long time. But that just means that the whole town’s attention is on this case.”

“It’s weird though, right? I mean, have you heard about the details?”

Edward merely smiled slightly and lightly tapped the side of his head. “I wouldn’t be too worried, love, there’s no reason to be concerned before we know anything else.”

Seemed sensible, Harry thought wryly, it just wasn’t really what he wanted to hear.

“Will you come over to my house again?” Edward asked quietly.

Harry hesitated, “I’m not sure if I should. I should probably check and make sure that my house is all locked up and stay there if my dad needs me.”

“I can go with the ensure that your house is secured. If your dad needs you he can call, and I promise that I will have you back at a respectable hour; we can even leave your car here so that your father knows you’ll be returning to the station.”  


Harry could concede that it was a well thought out plan. “Alright,” he gave a small smile.

“Perfect,” Edward learned forwards and tilted Harry’s chin up so he could give him a soft kiss. “I can finally give you a house tour.”

“Oh, and will I be able to see your room in this tour?” 

“But of course,” Edward laughed and gently lead him to the car, where he opened up the door and checked that he was safely inside before closing the door.

“Will the rest of your family be home too?” Harry asked halfway through the drive over.

“Mostly,” Edward shrugged lightly. “Carlisle will be at the hospital likely for a few more hours. Esme might be shopping with Alice, though it’s just as likely she’ll be home. Emmett and Rosalie night be home as well. Jasper will likely be out hunting.”

Harry hummed in response and stayed silent for the rest of the drive, his mind still tied up in the case and wondering what his father was currently doing. Half of him wanted them both to be safe at home, and the other half wanted to be standing next to the man helping him solve the case.

They were passing throngs of trees at speeds much faster than Harry knew they were supposed to go, until Edward sharply turned at a hardly obvious dirt road that Harry fondly remembered. “You really did find a secluded place to live,” he laughed quietly. “Did you find the house as is or did you build it?”

“A little of both,” Edward admitted as he pulled deeper into the driveway and parked slightly off to the side. “When we first arrived it resembled more of a modern cabin, though with Esme and Alice working it didn’t take long for it to evolve into something bigger. Then Emmett and I helped with most of the construction, adding on to it when we felt we needed more space.”

The house was silent when they arrived. Harry assumed that Edwards predictions and been correct, and his reasoning was quickly affirmed when Edward informed him that they were indeed alone for the moment. “Shall I take you upstairs?” he asked.

“What’s through there?” Harry pointed towards an open concept doorway off to the corner of the room.

“That leads to the kitchen and dining room. The other door to the living room.”

Curiosity satisfied, Harry grabbed Edward’s hand and gave him a slight grin. “Lead the way upstairs then, captain!”

“Carlisle’s office,” he pointed off to the first door. “I’d show you it, but it’s really not that interesting. A few books and some oil paintings but not much more. We spend most of our time in our rooms or the family room. The office is mostly for appearances.”

They passed several rooms in succession until they came to the last door on the left. “This yours?”

Edward simply nodded and opened the door, tugging Harry inside after him.

Immediately Harry wandered over to the large windows that took up the far wall. it was stunningly beautiful, looking out the groupings of dark green trees and the slow moving river that lead a pathway through the split trunks. 

“Pretty,” Harry murmured quietly.

“Hmm,” Edward stepped up behind him and gently wrapped his arms around the smaller boy’s shoulders.

Harry tore his eyes away and observed the rest of the room. On one wall there was a large stereo set up with shelves filled with music, and another with bookshelves. A black couch was set up near the other side and Harry happily skipped over to it and plopped down. Edward followed him willingly and let Harry curl into his sides.

“What’re you thinking about, partner?” he asked lightly when the black-haired boy continued his reflective silence.

“Nothing in particular,” Harry insisted.”

“Now I don't believe that.”

Harry leaned his head back to peer suspiciously up at his lap parter. After a few seconds of staring he raised up an eyebrow. “Oh really, and why would that be?”

“No reason,” Edward smirked.

Harry sat up from his relaxed position and turned to face him, "I am curious though. Do you never get bored at night? I would imagine that all the hours of not sleeping would add up.”

“I used to,” A finger slowly began to swirl up and trace Harry’s delicate collarbones, “Though I have found the past few weeks much more entertaining.”

The playful smirk was still curled around Edward’s lips, and Harry stared him down in consideration. “Hmm, how so?”

Edward’s smirk turned a bit more sheepish and he chuckled lightly. “Well, first of all, you talk in your sleep sometimes.”

Harry’s mouth fell open as he thought about his response. He did not talk in his sleep! So rude.

“What do I say?” he said cautiously. 

“Are you angry? I know you didn't say anything earlier, though there wasn't exactly much time to discuss it.”

Harry took a few seconds to consider the question carefully. Was he angry? Absolutely not. But he was surprised, and a little embarrassed. But mostly relieved, an odd sense of safety filling him at the revelation. At least he knew he wasn’t going crazy anymore what with the sounds outside his windows and that one time it had been left open.

“To be honest, I’m more relieved,” He admitted with a soft blush. “I had thought I had seen something but I just put it off as a wild imagination and maybe a bit of sleep deprivation.”

Instead of smoothing out the worried lines as Harry had expected his words would, they just made Edward’s face deepen into a darker frown. “When was this?” he asked in a somewhat urgent voice.

“Uh, I don’t know,” Harry drew out warily.

“It’s important that you remember,” Edward said seriously, leaning down somewhat so his face was closer to Harry’s. 

“Well my window was left open a few days ago, after I thought for sure that I had closed it before I went to bed. And the past few nights I’ve been thinking that I saw someone or something out of the corner of my eye. But I think I was just seeing things because I was tired.”

Edward’s concerned expression didn’t ease off but he dropped the questions in favor of pulling him closer. 

“Something the matter?”

Edward forced a slight smile and pressed a kiss to the side of his head. “Nothing to worry about,” he promised. They sat in silence for a few more comfortable seconds because Edward quickly stood then offered a hand to pull Harry to his feet. 

“I want to show you something,” he insisted, and at Harry’s hesitant acceptance, pulled him to his feet and brought him over to his open window.

“Well?”

“Well.” Harry’s eyes widened considerable and he starred with unashamed skepticism as Edward crouched down and motioned to his back.

“I won’t drop you,” The man laughed, and when Harry still didn’t say anything or make a move, he reached back and grabbed a wrist to pull Harry up regardless. “You’ll be fine,” He chuckled and quickly clambered out the window.

The good mood rubbed off on Harry, along with the sudden rush of fresh air, and he squealed with laughed when Edward quickly jumped up and began to climb the trees right outside the house.

They moved quickly up the tree, fast enough that Harry didn’t have time to think or worry about falling to his untimely death. And soon they were at the top.

Harry’s silent gaze took in the surroundings with awe. 

“One of my favorite views,” Edward admitted, then he carefully pulled Harry from his back and brought him down to sit on a thick enough branch to hold both of them. At seeing Harry’s worried eyes he pressed a reassuring kiss to his lips. “I have you,” He promised seriously. “I won’t let you fall.”

“I trust you,” Harry reassured, though he resolutely keep his eyes up and forward and decidedly not down. “I just, ya know, prefer not to look down at my potential death.”

Edward laughed and held Harry’s hand tightly as if to reassure him of his words. “I would never let the sheriff’s son die, imagine the public backlash!”

“Is that all you care about?’ Harry teased right back. “I’ll have you know that I am a very important member of society.”

“I have little doubt in that.”

Harry fell silent again as he looked at the surrounding area. Their high placement gave them a view of not only miles of forest, but also the tiny town of Forks in the distance. It was just starting to darken slightly, making the town’s lights more prominent. In the distance Forks high school was still lit up, and main street was shining brightly and reflecting the heavy traffic of people getting off work and finding their way home. And in the distance, Harry was pretty confident he could see flashing police lights.

“Do you think that’s where it is?” he asked, pointing off to the left and assuming Edward would get his meaning.

“Perhaps. Are you worried?”

“Not really. My dad told me a bit about it last night. I just think it’s odd that it would happen in such a small town. I mean, it happened all the time in London. We knew not to go out after dark and what alleyways to avoid and what street corners not to go down. It just seemed so safe here though.”

“It is safe here,” Edward promised. He would make it so; Harry would never have to worry about his safety so long as he still existed in this world.

Especially since Harry had mentioned someone at his windows. It certainly hadn’t been him, though that wasn’t something he would admit to his mate. No, it would only serve to worry him. He had been busy hunting with his family for the past week, making sure that both he, and especially Jasper, were well fed. And while there was the chance Harry had just been mistaken on his timeline, Edward was still wary. With the events in the town that were currently happening, he couldn’t just assume that the timing was wrong. And something was definitely going on. It had been the reason that Carlisle had went to check in with the sheriff and examine the body. 

Something wasn’t adding up.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

When Harry had finally gotten home, his bad mood had all but been forgotten and he was jovially dancing through the door. He figured it would be a pretty relaxing night. He’d make a spot of dinner for them, do the half hour of homework he had accumulated, then turn in for an early night.

“Lets see, we had fish last night…” he thought out loud as he dropped his bag by the front door and slipped off his shoes, turned to walk into the kitchen, then promptly squealed.

There were two men just casually sitting sitting on his couch, looking as if they belonged there. Which they didn’t, Harry knew, because this was his house. 

Seeing the rising panic in his eyes, the taller and older looking one quickly stood up and offered a hand. “I’m Sirius Black,” he greeted with a welcoming grin, “James and I have been friends for about a few decades I’d reckon.”

Harry nodded slowly and, after a few seconds of debate, walked up to shake hands. His gaze then trailed to the other male on the couch. They looked familiar enough for Harry to assume they were related, and sure enough, Sirius introduced him as his son.

Introductions aside, Harry had some questions. “Not that your visit isn’t welcome, but was there something you needed?” 

“James wanted us to stop by and make sure everything was okay,” Sirius answered as he walked back and flopped down on the couch. “We also picked up dinner, figured that you could use a break from cooking.”

Harry grinned and nodded, “I’m not sure how he survived without me, honestly. He struggles to make toast!”

“A lot of fish,” Sirius’s son, Jacob Black, nodded. “Well, that, and the local diner.”

Now that Harry didn’t have to make dinner he could actually relax for longer! He skipped over to the armchair and snuggled down into it. “Just a fair warning, I don’t actually know when my dad’ll be back. He was checking out another crime scene earlier but I haven’t heard of him since.”

“We figured that would be the case,” Sirius said easily. “Anyways, Jacob’s been dying to talk to you. He’s the one who fixed up that car of yours to make it drivable.”

Jacob blushed at his father’s comment. “It was a good car to work on!” he defended before turning to Harry. “I found the skeleton abandoned, took me a few good months to find all the materials I needed to build it up again,” he said proudly.

“Well it drives great,” Harry assured him, though he could definitely tell it was built from salvaged parts. The difference in the driving once he had been dropped of by Edward in the police station parking lot to collect his car…Edward’s car just drove so smooth.

“Is it outside?” Jacob stood eagerly from his seat and walked over to the window to peer curiously outside.

Harry’s mouth gaped open when the other male stood. He had thought Edward was big compared to him, but Jacob would have dwarfed both of them easily! 

“How old are you,” he blurted out in an incredulous tone, then promptly blushed brightly.

Jacob stopped and turned to face him with an overly exuberant grin. “16!”

“Holy shit, do you take steroids?”

Sirius broke out into loud guffaws and Jacob looked stunned, but instead of being embarrassed, Harry just felt petulant. This so wasn’t fair!

“Does it look like I take steroids?”

“Do you want an honest answer,” Harry shot back sassily. “How the hell do you grow so big? All I want is to be a few inches taller. Just a few! Tell me your secret?”

“Well it’s not steroids,” Jacob answered back, his earlier blush returning at the scrutiny.

“Hmm,” Harry said doubtfully, but he dropped the subject. 

“So how has school been going, Harry? I know James mentioned that you were a bit worried about moving mid year,” Sirius asked.

Harry tore his eyes away from Jacob and back to Sirius. “It’s been going just fine. My classes are a bit boring, but other than that it’s good.”

“Have you made any friends?” 

Harry grinned at that question. Sirius sounded like his mom asking about that, but he didn’t mind answering. “Yup! I’ve been hanging out with some people like Neville and Edward.”

“Edward?” Sirius sat up after hearing that name. “Cullen?”

Harry raised a curious eyebrow and the incredulous tone. “Cullen,” he confirmed with a nod. “Is there something wrong with that?”

Sirius hesitated, his mouth partially open as if a response was just on the tip of his tongue. After a few seconds he relaxed back into his seat though his concerned expression didn’t vanish. “It’s just…how well do you know the Cullens?”

Harry’s eyes narrowed at the line of questioning. He wasn’t quite sure what Sirius was getting at, and judging by Jacob’s puzzled expression, he didn’t know either. “I know the Cullen’s well enough to know that they’re a family of good people,” he retorted, somewhat strongly.

Sirius seemed to sense that he had crossed some sort of line because he raised his hands up and said, “Okay, I’m just making sure.”

James decided to pull in at that moment, saving them all from having to fill in the rest of the time with any other conversation.

Harry gave a silent sigh of relief at the sight of the cruiser pulling into the driveway before standing up from his chair and opening the door to greet his dad as he walked in.

“Sirius!” James said happily as he walked through, going up to his friend and giving him a hug. “It’s been awhile. I’m guessing you guys introduced yourself to Harry?”

“And gave me a heart attack at the same time,” Harry laughed, “I didn’t know they were going to be here.”

“Ahh, sorry, I should have said something,” James said with a tinge of embarrassment. 

“So how’d the rest of the night go?” Harry asked, hinting at the crime scene but not wanting to explicitly ask, not knowing if it was supposed to be a secret.

James looked at Harry out of the corner of his eye, “It went well. I’ll tell you about it later?”

“Sounds good,” he responded easily.

“So what’s for dinner?” James asked, and just like that, the rest of the night faded into James and Sirius reminiscing about old times while he and Jacob listened and laughed at the right moments.

By the time Sirius and Jacob finally left, Harry was bone tired. He really hadn’t prepared himself mentally for such a social visit, and now he just really wanted to climb into some pajamas and fall asleep.

He quietly shut the door to his room behind him then pulled back the covers of his bed before walking to his dresser and rummaging for something to wear to bed. After a few seconds, he finally settled with an oversized t-shirt and a pair of old sweats. 

With that and his teeth brushed, he was quite ready to jump into bed. He was half tempted to not set an alarm for the next morning, but he shook that idea out as quickly as it came. “You can’t just skip,” he reminded himself, but it still took him another second to force his fingers to click his alarm on.

It took him a few more minutes still to fall asleep. He sleepily wondered if Edward was outside his window right now. He had half a mind to peer out, but he didn’t move, only let the thought of it curl around his mind as he slowly drifted off to a sleep that was not as peacefully as he hoped.

_Faster, his brain urged. Go faster. Harry ran, panting through the forest. He dimly recognized the surrounding forest as belonging to Forks._

_He jumped over fallen trees at an incredible rate, dodged a few ferns in his way, and tried his best to avoid stepping on the loudest branched that he knew would break under his feet and send out the sharp, unmistakable sound of a person fleeing._

_Come on, faster, he urged. He closed his eyes mid run, but when he opened them, it was no longer the forest he was running in, but rather the grey stone of London._

_Distantly, he recognized that instead of running from something, he was now running towards something. Feet pounding on the ground, heartbeat pounding with it, he saw the glowing lights of a hospital straight ahead._

_He speed increased. His heart now felt like it was in his throat, constricting his breathing. His chest was tense, tight. Faster. You need to hurry._

_He reached the hospital and slammed open the door, gasping in harsh breathes as he tried flagging down a doctor or a nurse, only realizing once he did so that the reason why his chest was tight wasn’t because he was running, it was because it was covered in a dark bruise and the arm he used to call out had been holding his other close to his chest. A large rip was on his forearm, frayed at the edges and seeping blood into his surrounding skin. The sight startled him._

_Help, he tried to call. I need a doctor! But no loud sound came out and his throat was glued shut, only a small groan able to escape it._

_It was enough to catch the attention of a nearby nurse though. He looked up desperately, expecting to see a helpful expression, only to real back in shock and fear._

_No, he thought desperately as he saw Oliver smile innocently at him. Hands reached out and grabbed his wrists, pulling them insistently. They kept pulling, but Harry tried his best to tug away. “Please don’t,” he tried to cry again, “I’m sorry, please leave me alone. Don’t hurt me, I won’t tell, I’m sorry.”_

_The evil mouth twisted open to respond, but instead of a voice coming from Oliver, Harry heard something in the distance._

_“-ry”_

_He couldn’t recognize the voice, couldn't see who it belonged to either, his eyes having squeezed shut._

_“-arry!”_

“Harry!”

Harry flinched back from the cold hands holding tightly to his wrists and reared back, half expecting to see Oliver staring at him again. Shit, it had been awhile since he’d had a dream like that.

“Are you okay?” the same voice murmured concernedly.

Harry peaked his eyes open to see another familiar face staring at this, thought this one was a lot more comforting.

“Hi,” he breathed up a bit ruefully at Edward, trying to catch his breath and his thoughts from the nightmare. Then he paused and scrunched up his nose confusedly. “Wait a minute, how are you in my room?”

“Ahh,” Edward seemed to be a bit embarrassed at that question, “I’m sorry. Your window was unlocked and I heard some concerning noises. I was just going to check on you to make sure you were fine, but when I saw it was a nightmare…”

Harry blushed at that and shifted awkwardly on his bed, not really sure what to say about that. “Yea, sorry, I normally don’t have nightmares like that.”

“What was your nightmare about?” Edward asked, making sure to keep his voice light. He wanted Harry to tell him, but he didn’t want to scare him. Harry had sounded terrified enough in his dreams.

“Nothing,” Harry promised, looking down to avoid the intense stare and instead focusing in on his lap, noticing in the process that Edward’s hands were still wrapped around his wrist, though the grip was gentle now.

Edward followed his gaze and released his arms. “I’m sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?”

“No, I don’t mind,” Harry gave him a soft smile, trying to relax the man again, and was rewarded with the soft twitch of the pale lips into a smile.

“I’m glad,” Edward picked up a hand and pressed a quick kiss to the knuckles before releasing it back down again next to their bodies. At some point during the nightmare, Edward had found himself sitting on the edge of the bed. “I don't want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable.”

the last sentence was said with such intensity that Harry knew Edward was trying to hint at something, but he purposefully ignored it, letting silent fall between them.

“What are you afraid of?”

Harry cringed at that, acting how easily Edward saw through him. “Nothing,” he whispered, looking up this time to meet Edward’s gaze. “I’m not afraid of anything here.”

“Then what was your nightmare about?” Edward wasn’t intending to let this go. Whether Harry told him tonight or not, he would keep asking. Normally he would just let it go, indeed, Esme would likely be disappointed in how hard he was pressing. It definitely was not the gentlemanly thing to do, he thought wryly, but he could feel that something wasn’t quite right. Whenever Harry mentioned the past or London…

“Edward,” Harry practically moaned, “why do you need to know?”

“Why won’t you tell me?”

Harry hesitated at that. He could recognize that his refusal right now was just making Edward more determined to push. “It’s in the middle of the night. Besides, what if James can hear us talking?”

Edward had to conceded to that point. “I suppose you have a valid argument,” he sighed. “Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow,” Harry echoed, hoping that by tomorrow Edward would have forgotten.

Edward made a motion to slide off the bed, but Harry reached out quickly and grabbed Edward’s wrist this time. “Stay?” he asked with a slightly cheeky smile.

“You’ll be the death of me,” Edward whispered but he grinned regardless as he obligingly moved closer and slid them both down the bed until they were laying down, Harry with his head on Edward’s chest.

Harry laughed gently at that and nuzzled in closer, “You don’t mind,” he said confidently.

“Indeed, I don’t.”

And Harry fell asleep again to the feeling of hands carding softly through his hair and the faint imprint of a kiss to his forehead.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I actually have no excuse this time for being so late. I still hope some of you are following this story and enjoying it though! As always, this story is not Beta'd so if you notice any inconsistencies or spelling, feel free to tell me :) I like knowing what I did wrong, so don't be afraid to call me out (nicely) :)

The first thing he noticed the next morning was that bed was empty. The second was a little note sitting innocently on the sheets right next to his head.

Good morning, lovely. I’ll be at your house to pick you up for school at 7:20.

Harry quickly glanced at his phone and saw that it was barely approaching the hour before. He leisurely rolled out of bed and pulled his clothes off, replacing them with a towel he had hanging by his bed. If he was up this early, he might as well shower.

As he stepped into the hot spray he let out a sigh of relief, tension draining from his taunt shoulders. He hadn’t had a good sleep last night, even with Edward there. Or maybe because of him being there…he hadn’t quite figured that one out yet. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say to Edward today, and he half hoped that the vampire would have forgotten by now. He knew better though, Edward could be ridiculously stubborn and pushy.

Still, he could lie. Edward couldn’t read his mind, that he had assured, and it really would be best. His dirty laundry didn’t have to be aired out, especially since it really didn’t matter much anyways.

He stepped out of the shower after rinsing the soap off him one last time, mind still caught up in his internal debate. He checked his phone quickly, saw he had a little over half an hour to dry off, get dressed, and make breakfast. Plenty of time then.

At least, it was supposed to be. What really happened was a post-shower rest, then a scramble to get dressed, brush his hair into something relatively manageable, and make a to-go cup of coffee.

“You look harried,” Edward noted with amusement as Harry slid into his car a little out of breath and hair eschew.

“I may or may not have fallen asleep again after I took a shower,” Harry laughed a little and relaxed down into his seat. Edward had been thoughtful enough to turn on the car heater and it felt fantastic. “Still got breakfast though!” he continued more cheerily.

“I’ll remind you again, coffee is not food,” Edward half scolded.

“Uh huh,” Harry dismissed easily. “Says the one who doesn’t even eat food.”

“I can eat food.”

Harry turned to look at Edward with a skeptical expression. “Really?”

Edward hesitated, “Actually, not really.”

“Uh huh,” Harry repeated more satisfied this time, a smirk playing at his lips. “That’s what I thought.”

He turned away and looked out the window, watching the trees pass by a little quicker than they probably should have been. They were starting to thin out now that they ere getting closer to the school, but in Forks the foliage never really went away.

“So how did the rest of your night go?” Edward asked innocently enough, but Harry caught the hidden question.“Absolutely fantastic,” he just smiled angelically, trying not to laugh as his answer produced a slight scowl.

“You can’t put this off forever,” Edward noted.

“No, but I can try,” Harry responded. They were pulling up to the school now and and lightly twiddled his fingers against the door handle, fully planning on making a break for it, despite the fact that class wouldn’t start for another half hour yet.

“I’m just going to lock you in,” Edward laughed, catching the movement out of the corner of his eyes.

“Alright, alright,” Harry conceded with a laugh of his own. “I suppose we can walk into school together. I’ve got to mentally prepare myself for the stares first though.”

“I noticed that you did some question deflecting yesterday,” Edward pulled smoothly into a parking spot and turned off his car before turning to stare at Harry.

“Oh?”

“Yes, question deflecting seems to be a specialty of yours.”

“I do practice extensively,” Harry said breezily as he reclined in his own chair to meet Edward’s gaze. He tilted his head to the side a bit and smiled innocently, liking the way it made Edward’s gaze narrow. “Though I’m curious as to what you’re referring to this time.”

Edward learned a bit closer, watching how his movements made Harry’s pupils dilate, feeling intense satisfaction at the sight. “Cedric asked if we were together but he never got a response.”

Harry blushed a bit under the scrutiny and stayed quiet, not quite sure how to respond.

It was silent in the car for a few seconds, Harry unsure of what to say and Edward waiting for Harry to speak. It was only when Harry let out a small chuckle at the awkward silence that Edward broke from his stillness. “If you’re unsure, I’ll clarify. We are definitely together.”

“Oh…yea…yes,” Harry agreed, still blushing.

“Yes,” Edward echoed amusedly, watching Harry warmly for a few more seconds before moving forward to press a kiss to his forehead then his lips. Harry could feel the vampire smiling into the kiss and he couldn’t help but reciprocate, feeling his earlier anxiety wash away.

“So dating then. How does it compare now to when you were born?” Harry asked in when they pulled away.

“If we were in the early 1900s, I’m afraid I would be doing this completely wrong. For one, your father should always be present. Such conduct unchaperoned would surely earn me a rebuke. Then, of course, there would be the small issue of being sentenced to hard labor for homosexual behavior.”

“Oh,” Harry grimaced, “I would not do well in a hard labor camp.”

Edward laughed but didn’t refute the claim.

“I would also, naturally, have to make my intentions clear and warn away any other potential suitors.”

“Naturally,” Harry agreed, noticing as more cars began to pull up to the parking lot.

“Oh good, so you won’t mind then when I make sure Cedric understands the situation later today.”

Harry unbuckled his seat belt, realizing that he had forgotten to earlier. Edward followed the movement then quickly raised his eyes to meet Harry’s again. “I’ll just take your silence as a yes then.”

“You be nice,” Harry scolded. “Cedric is innocent.”

“There is absolutely nothing innocent about Cedric, that I can assure you,” Edward said wryly, thinking of all the times he’d overheard Cedric’s thoughts. Remembering of them made his skin crawl with the urge of violence, venom filling his mouth, but he tapered it down quicker than he thought possible. His self control was improving, slowly but steadily, with his refusal to feel those urges around his mate. He never wanted his mate to feel fear, either directly or indirectly. He was sure Carlisle would be pleased with the discovery, though it likely wouldn’t be much help to anymore else. Falling in love with a human likely wasn’t a good solution for the majority of vampires out there.

Harry grimaced at that. “Ew, things I’d rather not hear…”

“You and me both,” Edward agreed. He felt better knowing he was able to monitor thoughts to make sure no one was a threat to his family, Harry included, but there were definitely drawbacks. Murderous rage at the thought of someone harming or touching Harry just happened to be the main one. Which reminded him…

“Speaking of things I’d rather not hear, what was your nightmare about last night?”

“If you’d rather not hear, you probably shouldn’t ask,” Harry responded mulishly, looking longingly out at the rapidly filling parking lot. He had hoped first bell would have rung before their morning conversation had come full circle.

“Harry,” Edward laughed. He was torn between being amused by the sheer stubbornness of the boy sitting across from him and frustrated at the lack of answer.

“You can’t read my mind?” Harry confirmed after a half second of silence.

“I can’t,” Edward promised, but he mentally added that he would be able to tell if Harry lied. His mate didn’t need to know that though, and while he wouldn’t lie if Harry asked, he also wasn't going to volunteer that information.

“It’s not a big deal, really,” Harry assured.

Edward was satisfied to hear his heart remain steady, but that still begged the question of why Harry was hesitating if it wasn’t a big deal.

“I -“

Harry was about to speak when the first bell rang clearly in the air. He gave a slight sigh of relief, mentally rejoiced at the cliche saving of the bell, and then turned to look at Edward sheepishly.

“Don’t think you’re so lucky as to have escaped,” Edward warned. “I am very curious, and I find curiosity to be an insatiable beast.”

“I’m sure you do,” Harry shook his head fondly. “You’re definitely the type, you unapologetic dictator.”

“If I were a dictator, I would have demanded instead of asked for your permission to taunt Cedric,” Edward pointed out with a smirk. He opened up his door, took a quick glance to make sure no one was around, then ran to Harry’s door to open it. He always delighted in the look on Harry’s face when he did that. The bright blush paired perfectly with the glint of irritation in his emerald eyes.

“Oh, was that you asking earlier?” Harry questioned in a sarcastic tone as he took to proffered hand and stepped out of the car, unable to suppress the blush growing across his cheeks as the gentlemanly action. Half of him wanted to protest that he could do it himself, but the other half told him to shut his mouth and be grateful. Besides, it was a massive improvement from his last boyfriend, who wouldn't even wait for him to unlock his seatbelt before leaving him behind in the dust.

“Indeed.”

Edward kept hold of the Harry’s hand after he had climbed out of the passenger seat, making sure to tuck their intertwined hands into his pocket to make sure Harry’s didn’t get too chilled.

As they entered the building and joined the trickle of students walking, Harry playfully tugged Edwards hand. “I’m pretty sure you have a different first period, partner.”

“I suppose you wont just let me be late then?” 

“I’m sure I’ll be fine finding my classroom all alone,” Harry shook his head fondly as he untangled his fingers from Edward’s and pulled his hand away. “I’ll see you at lunch?”

“I’ll look forward to continuing our conversation,” Edward murmured just loud enough for Harry to hear before reluctantly turning away and making his way to his own first period.

Harry watched him for a second longer than was strictly necessary before rushing off to his own class, noting on his phone that he barely had a minute to spare. Edward always distracted him in such enjoyable ways though that he hardly would have minded if he was late himself.

In fact, being late was becoming more and more appealing. He entertained the thought of accidentally being late to lunch, but he quickly threw out the idea as he entered the classroom and set his bag down just in time for the bell. He spied Hermione in the front of the classroom, and when she turned around, he sent her a friendly smile and a wave. He had really been neglecting his first friends…maybe he would sit with them this lunch.

He smiled to himself at the thought of what Edward would do if he just completely avoided their usual table and instead sat with Hermione and Neville and the others. Knowing him though, he would just take it in stride and sit there too. Probably terrify poor Neville in the process, too. It was understandable though, Edward could be quite an imposing figure when he wanted.

“Harry!”

Harry startled when he heard his name being whispered in a loud voice. Shamefully he looked around to see the whole class watching him, some with clear sympathy painted while others just looked amused.

“I instructed everyone to pull out last night’s reading,” Mr. Flitwick said casually, his voice still high and excited despite Harry clearly not having been paying attention. “If you would please just get it out now so we can discuss.”

Harry scrambled in his bag and pulled out the book quickly, dodging the reproachful look Hermione sent back to him. Everyone else turned their gazes back to the front of the classroom but this time Harry made sure to stay attentive and out of his head. By the half hour mark, he was bored out of his mind though. Paying attention was so much more tedious, and while he normally appreciated Flitwick’s excitable personality, today it was just grating on him. Lack of sleep really did make him grumpy, something that Neville noted immediately when he next saw him.

“Are you okay?” the boy questioned innocently as he kept pace with Harry’s long strides.

“Fine,” Harry grumbled then gave a sigh and stopped in his tracks, turning to face Neville. “Sorry about being such a chit today, I’m just tired I guess.”

“Oh, that’s okay!” Neville rushed to assure. “You look tired. Did you not get a lot of sleep last night?”

“Not really,” Harry ruefully admitted, starting up walking again though this time a bit slower. “I didn’t wake up in this mood, but after sitting through class all day I think it’s wearing on me.”

“At least it’s lunch though, that will be a nice break,” Neville continued.

Harry grimaced a bit and hid it in his mug under the guise of taking a sip, mentally reminding himself to get some more coffee at lunch.

“Yea….”

Neville stepped up to the door leading outside, holding it open for Harry to go through. “Are you going to sit with Edward again today?”

Poor Neville, Harry really had been inconsiderate by ignoring him. “I am,” he agreed but passed in the doorway. “Lets hang out something this week though. I’ll text you later?”

Neville immediately seemed to brighten up, making Harry’s mood brighten too. “I’d like that! We can study for that test in history later, if you’d like?”

“Sounds great,” Harry smiled at his friend and they walked in comfortable silence the rest of the way to the cafeteria, where Harry spied Edward sitting in the corner at their established table. 

“See you!” Neville waved and Harry offered him up a smile before walking over and mentally bracing himself for the inevitable string of questions.

Instead of immediately being assaulted by their continued conversation, however, Edward just offered him up a smile and questioned, “lunch?”

“Mhh, coffee,” Harry agreed. “I’ll just get some before class though.”

“Harry,” Edward groaned, “you need to actually eat food, not just coffee.”

“I eat food!” Harry defended. “Just not at the same time as coffee usually…”

Edward looked at him critically for a few seconds before shaking his head slightly. “You do look like you need coffee. Tired?”

“A bit,” Harry admitted, blinking when his coffee mug was snatched out of his hand before he could blink. “Hey!” he gave a half-hearted protest.

Edward laughed and darted forward to give him a quick kiss before sliding away from the table, still holding his coffee mug. “I’ll go get you some,” he promised.

He was back in half a minute and Harry accepted to warm mug with a warm smile and a thanks, taking a quick sip of it before putting it down on the table.

“I’d ask why you’re so tired, but we both know why,” Edward started leading into the discussion at hand.

“Yea,” Harry smiled a bit ruefully. “I guess we do.” It was silent after his statement and he looked up, unintentionally meeting Edward’s gaze dead on. “I just really don’t know what to say,” he confessed. “I don’t know what you want from me.”

“I want you to answer my question.”

“It’s not as easy as that,” Harry sighed. He learned back in his chair and look a longer drink of the coffee. It was a little too hot, but the slight burn was a good distraction from Edward’s unwavering gaze.

“Why not?” Edward pressed on, eyes narrowing at the clear reluctance. Puzzle pieces started to fit together in his mind, memories of previous conversations flashing in his brain. Harry’s reluctance to talk about London, his references to bruises and injuries…

Harry hesitated once more, bitting his lip and looking down, making Edward’s eyes darken.

He learned forward, pressing a single finger to Harry’s chin to force him to look up. ”Did someone hurt you?” 

Edward’s voice was silky, a clear threat sounding in the tone. Harry didn’t know how to respond, but Edward didn’t need his response to continue on this path. “Was that what your nightmare was about? Someone hurting you?”

Harry looked for an out, indecision swirling in his mind. The rest of the Cullen’s were at their own table, minus Rosalie and Emmett, but they were all looking the other way. Traitors…he had thought Alice at the least might be sympathetic. 

“Harry?”

“Yes,” Harry finally blurted out, realizing that no one was coming to save him now and Edward was only getting more frustrated and determined by his silence. “It was just a nightmare though, please stop pushing.”

“I believe you,” Edward learned forward, but he darted forward and gently grasped on of Harry’s hand before the other male could pull away. He gently traced the delicate fingers, feeling more than seeing the slight tremor that ran through the palm. “But there’s something more. What are you hiding?”

Harry’s eyes widened and he blinked up at Edward in silence. What else had Edward’s noticed? He tried to pull his hand away but Edward just folded their fingers together, making Harrys heart jump in his chest in fear for a brief second. Edward seemed to hear it though, because the light gold eyes softened and Harry’s hand was quickly released, a soft apology at Edward’s lips.

“That’s what I mean,” Edward continued softly. “Why do you react like that? Are you afraid of me?”

The sudden fragility in the normally strong tone made Harry’s heart hurt a bit. He never wanted Edward to think that he was afraid of him; he would trust the Vampire with his life. “I’m not afraid of you. I’ve never been afraid, maybe just a little frustrated sometimes,” Harry laughed a little and reached forward so he could grab Edward’s previously abandoned hand, trying to brighten the dulled mood.

Edward’s concerned expression smoothed out and he offered Harry a crooked smile in return. “Will you tell me?” And this time, Harry knew Edward was asking for more than just a recap. 

“I’m not sure you really want to know.” 

Harry also wasn't sure he really wanted to tell. Part of him wanted the release of someone else knowing. He wanted to stop being afraid of being discovered, and to stop worrying about his reaction. He also didn’t want Edward to leave him once he realized just how damaged he was though. He had lost his first love, or at least what he thought was love, and he didn’t want to lose Edward too. He was falling - had already fallen - in love with the Vampire. 

“There is nothing about you that you could tell me that I wouldn’t want to know,” Edward promised. He loved the little human, more than he first believed he could. His emerald eyed creature had permeated every fiber of his existence, filling his thoughts constantly. 

Harry sighed deeply and took a nervous drink of his coffee, knee jittering underneath the table. He steeled himself before he could talk himself out of it and nodded. “Okay. After school?”

“My house?”

Harry hesitated but Edward could understand why. “Everyone will leave if I tell them, and they should all be gone anyways.”

“Alright,” Harry agreed, looking a little green. His stomach swirled around in his stomach and he mentally berated himself for his nervousness. “I think I’m going to need more coffee though.”

Edward looked over Harry critically. “I think you’re probably done with coffee. I’m thinking we should probably get you something to soak it all up instead.”

Harry laughed a bit at that, tension melting from his shoulders. “That obvious, huh?”

Edward smirked and reached froward with his leg to gently capture Harry’s calf with his foot. “Your leg hasn’t stopped moving since you’ve sat down.”

The feeling of the icy limb curled around his helped him still his leg. He smiled ruefully and pushed the coffee cup away. “You might be right.”

“Might?”

“That’s as good as you’re going to get, so you better take it,” Harry laughed. “I’ll get some nuts on the way to class. Care to join?”

“Of course, I’d like to ensure that my biology partner actually makes it to class,“ Edward smoothly pushed his chair away from the table and joined Harry, shortening his strides to walk side by side with his human. He noticed that Harry was still trying his best to avoid meeting his gaze, but he was more amused than frustrated, knowing that all would be revealed in time.

Harry turned his head and leveled a challenging gaze at him. “That’s funny, coming from the one who ditched me halfway through a lab and made me complete it myself.”

Edward laughed at that. He had forgotten about that in the moment, too focused on escaping before the urges became too much. “I’ll make it up to you,” he promised, unable to resist the urge to stop their walking and kiss the angry pout of Harry’s lips. 

“What’s your moral stance on helping someone cheat?” Harry wondered aloud as they approached the vending machine in the hallway.

“I think you’ll fine that I have very loose morals indeed.”

Harry snickered and pulled the change out of his backpack, putting it in the machine quickly and punching in the code that would deliver him the snack pack of almonds. “I don’t know…you seem to have a pretty inflated sense of morals.”

“I suppose it would depend on who you asked,” Edward looked critically at the bag of almonds in Harry’s hand. “Will that be enough?” he asked doubtfully. “It might have been awhile, but I’m pretty sure humans are suppose to eat more than a handful of nuts.”

“Sure will!” Harry tore opened the bag and popped a nut in his mouth, crunching happily at it as he offered Edward a cheeky smile. “And you keep your opinions on my food to yourself, thank you very much. I don’t ask you about the…fur color of your choices.”

“Light gold,” Edward supplemented.

Harry paused at the door to their class and send him a befuddled side glance “What?

“Light gold. I prefer mountain lions. They’re more fun to chase.”

“Ahh,” Harry nodded and threw a few more nuts in his mouth. “Makes sense. I bet you have to go far to catch those though.”

“Not really,” Edward shook his head and pushed open the door, finding it to be empty even of their teacher. He held the door open for Harry to enter and followed him to their table.

“…what do you mean by that?” Harry was almost afraid to hear the answer.

“There are a lot of mountain lions around here. Granted, I do try to hunt a little further out to make sure we don’t dent their population too much.” He took note of Harry’s expression and raised an eyebrow. “Surely you knew of the native wildlife?”

Harry gave an unhumorous laugh and itched nervously at his forearm. “So I might stick to night running on roads then…”

Edward grimaced at that, “I’d very much appreciate if you didn’t run in the forest.” Harry would be easy prey, small, short, and relatively easy for a larger animal to carry off. ”In fact, I’d actually appreciate if you didn’t run at night at all.”

“I’m thinking I might agree with you,” Harry chewed on a few more nuts, finding they really were helping him settle his stomach. “My dad has been on my case too to stop leaving the house alone, what with the recent murders and everything, even though they’ve all been women.”

Edward made a quick mental note to keep an eye on Harry and follow him around next time he left the house. The Sheriff was right, you never could be too careful. “I’ll run with you,” he grinned.

Harry quickly turned his head to glare resentfully at the smirking vampire. “Oh, I’m sure you would.”

“It might be fun,” Edward offered.

“For you maybe…I don’t think I need that hit to my confidence. Three of my strides is like one of your pretend human ones. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you having to slow down and shorten your steps when we walk together.”

Edward actually hadn’t know that Harry had noticed that…perceptive little human. 

The door to the class opened and Harry sneakily ate some more almonds, knowing that food wasn’t supposed to be allowed. “If he asks, these are your almonds,” he stage whispered to Edward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Either next chapter or the one after that will finally be the one where Edward finally learns of Harry's past. Stay tuned!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told everyone this update wouldn't take as long! Hope everyone enjoys :)
> 
> Warning: Talk of domestic abuse and rape during this chapter. Please don't read if this is triggering for you.

Chapter 17

Harry did end up getting called out for his almonds, but like a true gentleman, Edward took the blame. He was a good sport too, even throwing one of them in his mouth and trying to hide his grimace. Harry might be in love.

“So can you eat real food then? It just isn’t good?” Harry had asked him later when they were walking to the parking lot together.

“Essentially,” Edward agreed as he opened Harry’s side door for him. “We’re really not supposed to eat it, but it won’t kill us if we do. It’s not the most pleasant thing though, so we do try to avoid it.”

Harry settled down into his seat and pulled his seatbelt on, knowing how much Edward was a stickler for that. “Where are we going now, partner?” 

Edward smoothly slid into the drivers seat and gave Harry a glance out of the side of his eye. 

“Right then,” Harry said dryly, heaving out a sigh. “Do you mind stopping by my house for a few seconds first?”

“Depends,” Edward said slowly with an eyebrow raised doubtfully. “If I let you go inside your house, will you actually come back out? Or will I have to lay siege to get you back in the car?”

Harry snickered at that. “I’ll come back out,” he promised. “I just need to get something before.”

The “something” sounded suspiciously vague to Edward, but he didn’t question it any further.

“Thanks,” Harry said gratefully as Edward turned down the road that would take him to his house instead. He settled back into his seat and stared quietly out the window, watching the vegetation pass by quickly. He loved this part of the town.

Edward watched Harry out of the corner of his eye and smiled at the pure innocence and wonder in Harry’s expression. He continued to glance every so often, only half paying attention to the road. Harry’s eyes hardly left the tree line, and while he wasn’t quite sure how the human could still be amazed by the view after seeing it every day, he never wanted that wonder to fade. The next time he glanced over, however, Harry’s eyes seemed to have darkened and his hands fidgeted nervously at his side.

“Everything alright?” Edward asked concernedly, taking his eyes fully off the road to run a careful look over him.

“Yea,” Harry breathed out, heart beating a little faster than it should have been. “Just tired of looking out the window. Watching the trees pass by so quickly made me a bit sick.”

It was a blatant lie, but one Edward seemed to have accepted judging from the way he relaxed his position again. Harry breathed a sigh of relief and scolded his heart, trying to make it calm back down. ‘You didn’t see anything’ he told himself sternly. There’s absolutely now way he could’ve seen what he thought. Not only would it be odd for someone to be in the woods on a side road to a neighborhood, but it would be even more crazy for the person to be outside of London and in Forks, Washington. He knew it was just his mind playing tricks because he was nervous about today and telling Edward. Still though, the memory of his abusers face made him internally panic.

“We’re almost to your house,” Edward offered, “that should help.” He was still concerned over the tortured expression on Harry’s face, but he had no reason to doubt Harry’s sincerity. Perhaps he was just worried about this upcoming conversation. Despite wishing Harry was more comfortably confiding in him, he could understand the reluctance in revealing something he didn’t want anyone to know.

Harry looked over and gave Edward what he hoped was a comforting smile. “I think I’ll be fine. It was probably just the caffeine and empty stomach. I’ll grab something quick to eat while I’m inside.”

“I’ll come in with you,” Edward said firmly, leaving no room for discussion. “I’ll make you something soothing for your stomach like toast while you get what you need.”

Harry laughed at that, releasing some of the tension in his shoulders, “Really? Do you even know how to make toast?”

“I may not eat, but I think I understand the basics,” Edward said dryly. “Though if I get confused, I’ll be sure to ask you for help.”

Harry narrowed his eyes at the obvious sass but ignored it. Toast might actually be good, if the anxious burning and churning in his stomach was anything to go by. He just hoped he could actually manage to eat it; he didn’t need Edward to be even more concerned, and he was pretty positive the vampire would see through his excuse of the flu.

Edward pulled all the way into Harry’s driveway and put the car into park before turning it off. This time he let Harry open his own door, grinning to himself when he saw Harry’s hand dart out quickly try to beat him anyways. He sent a teasing smirk to the human then laughed out loud when all it got him was a testy glare. 

“Careful, or I won’t let you inside,” Harry warned but it seemed to be ineffective judging from the superior smirk and lack of remorse on Edward’s face.

He strolled to the door and stood on his tiptoes in order to grab the extra key from the gap in the top of the door, falling back on his heels just as Edward stepped up behind him, close enough that Harry could feel the chill of his body when he straightened. 

“When I told you to hide the key in a better place, that was not what I had in mind,” Edward pointed out dryly.

Harry slid the key into the lock and turned it pointedly. “Pick a better place and I’ll consider it.”

“How about you just keep it on you?” Edward suggested as he shadowed Harry into the house, only half a step behind as Harry set his bag on the couch and made his way into the kitchen. “I’ll remind you that there’s a dangerous person roaming town and you’ve made it remarkably easy to enter your home.”

“No one breaks into the sheriff’s house,” Harry insisted. He wandered around the kitchen, pulling bread out of one cupboard and the toaster out of another, trying to ignore how close Edward was following behind him.

When he moved to plug the toaster in, Edward’s hand intercepted his and gently tugged the cord out of his hard. He turned to give a threatening look but Edward simply smiled and lead him gently out of the way. “I believe we had a deal that I would make the toast, and you would get what you needed?”

Harry stubbornly pursed his lips but allowed Edward to playfully push him away from the counter. “Alright, alright,” he finally conceded and he strolled back to the living room where he took his thermos of coffee out of his backpack and set it down on the table so it wouldn’t spill.

He sent one more look into the kitchen to make sure Edward was fine then he grabbed his bag and jogged up the stairs. His backpack went besides his bed then he walked over to his drawers and pulled off his shirt, throwing it in the laundry hamper in the corner of his room. He was rummaging through his drawer, looking for a pullover that would keep him warm, when he heard a cough behind him.

He whipped around quickly, heart rate jumping madly in shock. All the talk about murderers and house keys and breaking in had him so paranoid that he was impressed he didn’t let out a noise too.

“You need a bell,” He accused in a breathless voice that gave away how much fear he had felt in that brief moment. 

Edward swallowed the venom pooling up in his mouth as he traced his eyes over Harry’s bare chest, taking note of the heart beating rapidly against his chest, finding it utterly fascinating. “My apologies,” he murmured, finally tearing his eyes away. He felt embarrassment at his reaction flow through him, sheepish at having stared for so long. He knew it had only been microseconds to Harry’s human perception, but had any of his family witnessed it, he would have never heard the end of it.

Harry blushed brightly at the stare and turned back around to grab the first long sleeve he saw, tugging it over his head and soothing out the seams. His heart was still refusing to slow down, this time for an entirely different reason. He turned around, fully dressed this time, and noticed that Edward was still staring at him with noticeably darker eyes. 

“Toast?” He squeaked.

The question broke Edward’s concentration and he tore his eyes away, face relaxing into a small smile at the cute tone. “Toast,” he agreed. “Did you get what you need?”

“Mostly,” Harry nodded then added wryly, “though I think I might need either an Advil or a valium after that scare.” Not to mention the upcoming conversation, but Harry kept that thought to himself.

“Advil we can do, valium might be a bit more difficult to get,” Edward chuckled as he waited for Harry to pass by him before following him down the stairs.

“You might be correct,” Harry chirped playfully. He made a beeline to the kitchen, skipping by the toast for a quick second so he could grab the container of Advil in one of the cabinets.

“Thank you,” he acknowledged as Edward set an uncapped bottle of water down by his side. He grimaced, took a big breath, and threw his head back as he swallowed the pill and chased it with a large gulp of water. “I hate taking pills,” he informed, face still twisted into an expression of disgust. “That’s why I only took a few of those pain ones before stopping.”

“Hmm,” Edward couldn’t help but be amused by the face Harry was making. He darted over and grabbed the plate of toast and offered it to the black-haired boy.

“Thanks,” Harry said again and he grabbed a piece and took a large bite. He took the plate with one hand and set it back down on the counter, the other hand holding one of the pieces of toast and munching away. He only managed to finish one before walking over to the sink and washing his hands off. “You ready?”

“I am,” Edward nodded. “Are you?”

“Do you really want to know?”

“Yes.”

Harry raised an eyebrow at the honest response. He deliberated for a few moments, taking account of the reduced stomach stirring and relatively calm heartbeat, then eventually shrugged. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” 

Sensing that Edward wasn’t going to make the first move, Harry offered him the most genuine smile he could at that point in time. He stepped forward and wrapped his fingers around Edward’s, feeling the vampire immediately respond in kind and pull their intertwined hands up so he could kiss them. Harry blushed at the romantic gesture, still not quite used to that much affection, and began to tug them towards the door.

After closing and locking it, he gave Edward a playful wink and slipped the spare key inside his pocket. As expected, the move made Edward’s face relax and his lips tilt up in a smile. Harry was thankful for it. Edward being anxious made him more anxious, and he was nervous enough all by himself, especially when Edward pulled out and began the drive to his house, taking the route that took them by the same trees as before.

This time Harry made sure his eyes were firmly planted in front of him so he could only see the road. He didn’t need to chance any more mind tricks, especially not when his stomach was already in his throat at the thought of this upcoming conversation. He still wasn’t quite sure what he was going to say or how, he just hoped that Edward gave him a good opening and didn’t just stare at him demandingly until he offered something up.

“You family isn’t home?” 

Edward glanced over and offered a reassuring smile. “They aren’t.”

Harry nodded and returned the smile, trying not to let his leg bounce or his fingers fidget, something that he only did when he was nervous or impatient. The silence in the car was suffocating…and probably not the best for his blood pressure… “So about the weather…”

Edward broke his concentration of the road and started laughing. He reached over with his right hand, left still on the wheel, and grabbed Harry’s hand again. “I love you,” he murmured warmly, and this time, Harry was 99% sure his heart was actually going to stop.

“Oh my god, Edward,” Harry practically shouted. “Timing!”

Edward took his eyes off the road so he could stare down his mate, confident in his ability to stay on the road without looking. “I love you.”

Harry tried swallowing past the lump in his throat, unsure of what to say and shocked that Edward had thought now was a good time to confess that. Of all the things he had expected to come out of Edward’s mouth, that had not been it. 

“No you don’t,” he tried to argue.

“I do. I love you,” Edward said again, face remaining painfully patient as Harry tried to process this.

“I love you,” Harry argued again, “I think you’re mistaken.”

Edward’s eyes crinkled in the corner in a mix of confusion, amusement, and affection. “You love me,” he echoed with a clear smile.

Harry made an odd whimpering noise and covered his face with the hand that wasn’t currently trapped in Edward’s firm grasp. He wasn’t even afraid that Edward wasn’t looking at the road, because at this point, a car crash truly wouldn’t be the worst thing. “I love you,” he agreed, confident at least in his feelings. He loved Edward and had for awhile, even before he’d been able to admit it to himself. “I still think you’re mistaken though.”

Edward made a frustrated noise and slowed his car down, giving them a few more minutes to talk about this before Harry managed to distract again with a new conversation topic. He had truly never met a human so capable of wiggling around and escaping conversations so deftly. “I am not mistaken. Would you like me to tell you all the things I love about you? I can easily express the ways in which you’ve captured my heart.”

“Even if you love me now, you won’t love me after today,” Harry warned, though his tone had lost its frustration and all that remained now was vulnerability. 

For the first time in he didn’t know how many decades, Edward was speechless. “You are…absolutely infuriating,” he finally said in the following silence.

Harry turned to face him with an affronted expression. “I am not - ”

“ - you are an infuriatingly frustrating, beautiful, wonderful creature,” Edward cut him off. “But you’re my infuriating creature. Nothing you could possibly say today will change that.”

Harry wanted to believe Edward, but he just couldn’t. He didn’t want to hurt Edwards feelings any more than he already had to though, so he swallowed back his refute and offered the vampire a half smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Okay,” he agreed, then a bit quieter. “I do love you.”

Edward smile softly at that and Harry noticed that his body was remarkably less tense. They turned left onto the side road that took them to Edward’s house and Edward noted the slight uptick of Harry’s heart as they approached. A small part of him felt guilty for forcing the matter and making Harry feel this way, but a bigger part of him needed to know. Regardless, Harry’s fear of his reaction was unfounded; nothing the smaller man could say would make him feel differently about him.

Harry was trying to reassure himself of the same thing, though he wasn’t quite as confident. Despite his mental reassurances, he couldn’t help but silently groan as Edward led him up to the front door of his home and gestured him inside.

“You look as if you’re entering a death chamber,” Edward chuckled when he caught sight of Harry’s admittedly adorable grimace. “I can assure you that, despite being vampires, our house does not typically elicit the feeling of dread.”

“I think I might prefer the death chamber,” Harry sighed then looked up at Edward with his best attempt at a small, reassuring smile. Judging by the raised eyebrows, Harry didn’t think it was successful.

“My room?” Edward simply asked instead of responding to Harry’s pitiful attempts to smile at him.

At that, Harry waggled his eyebrows playfully. “You know, I could think of a few things we could do in there instead of talking.”

Edward’s lips twitched upwards at the playful response, “Tempting, though I’m afraid I shan’t be swayed from my mission so easily.”

Harry narrowed his eyes but his lips still showed a sly smirk, “Why don’t we find out? I’m sure I could convince you.”

“I’m sure you could,” Edward admitted with a chuckle. He took a small step back from Harry’s intoxicating space and inhaled deeply though his nose to try and regain some mental clarity. “I’m also sure that I have a few tricks up my sleeve too. In particular, one fascinating story of a stuffed animal that I saw in your fathers mind…”

Harry gaped at that, horrified that Edward knew of his care bear story and hadn’t told him. “I can’t believe you would use that against me! No one likes a dirty fighter, you know.”

“I fight dirty?” Edward smirked. “I do believe that title belongs to you, little minx. Besides, I think that story is cute.”

Harry flushed brightly at that. “It is not cute,” he threatened, “and if I find out you told anyone…”

Edward raised his hands up defensively, “Your secrets are safe with me.” 

Harry caught the meaningful shift of tone and knew that they had come full circle again. So much for his distraction…

There was another half-second pause before Harry murmured a soft, “You promise?”

“I promise.”

Harry bit his lip, “You don’t even know what you’re promising to keep secret,” he cautioned.

Edward titled his head in consideration, watching the small human for a few seconds before turning to walk up the stairs, confident that his mate would follow him. He climbed slowly, allowing ample time for Harry to catch up to the same step so he could walk besides him. “We both have secrets to be kept,” he finally said in the silence, “and yours is not mine to tell. I have faith that you’ll keep mine, and all I’m asking is for you to give me the same opportunity to show you I can be trusted.”

“I thought I proved my trust in you when I let you climb up that tree outside your window,” Harry said wryly as Edward opened the door to his room and ushered them inside, shutting it solidly behind him. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more afraid for my life, and that’s saying something.”

Still facing the door, Edward took a few anatomically unnecessary deep breaths to center himself before he reacted to that last statement. “That’s what concerns me,” he said as he finally turned around to find Harry standing near the couch, arms moving restlessly near his side as curious fingers nervously traced the seams on his couch. “I’ve been sensing a bit of a pattern in your words.”

“Oh?” Harry swallowed past his suddenly dry throat and took a seat on the edge of the couch, watching out of the corner of his eye as Edward did the same.

“Hmm,” Edward hummed in agreement, eyes not leaving Harry’s despite the human’s best attempts at avoiding his gaze. 

“I’m not quite sure what you mean,” Harry tried to counter, genuinely curious about the patterns that supposedly existed. He had figured that his nightmare sparked some concern, but he hadn’t thought that Edward had noticed anything else.

“When you were on the phone with Neville, back in the hospital, you mentioned that you were used to worse injuries,” Edward tried to make sure his tone wasn’t accusing, noticing how defensive Harry became when asked about his past.

Harry hadn’t figured that Edward would have remembered that. “Most people have had injuries worse than just a bruised head.”

“You wont talk about your past in London, and the few times you have mentioned it have been in response to my worry. I believe last time you stated, ‘I’m no strange to violence.’”

“Okay, you have a really good memory,” Harry admitted with a sigh. “Can’t you just accept that I don’t want to talk about it?”

Edward silently shook his head. While some of his reasons for wanting to know were selfish, he was predominantly concerned. “You said someone hurt you.”

“I said I dreamed of someone hurting me,” Harry corrected quickly.

Edward fired back just as fast. “Are you afraid of me?”

At that, Harry spluttered and shook his head. “No!” He argued somewhat heatedly. “I’ve never been afraid of you, I’ve told you that before.”

“You’ve also told me that nothing happened in London, and that was a lie too.”

Harry flinched back at the accusation and looked down at his hands. Edward was right, the vampire really didn’t have much reason to believe his words. That, if anything, made him want to admit everything to the man. He couldn’t stand the idea of hurting Edward or making him think he was afraid of him. He felt a cold hand gently touch his cheek and he forced himself to not flinch away from the unexpected touch. Instead he let it softly guide him until he was looking into Edwards remorseful golden eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Edward said regretfully, feeling phantom pain in his chest at the sight of the hurt of words had caused. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m not mad at you, I just want to understand,” he continued softly.

Fuck, Harry thought. Just…fuck. He took a deep breath and pressed a hand to his chest in a futile attempt to force his heart to stop banging furiously against his ribcage. “No, I’m sorry. You’re right,” he admitted with a deep sigh. “It’s just…I don’t know what to say.”

“Stop that,” Edward scolded and Harry briefly thought it was in response to his words until he felt Edward’s hand shift so he could carefully pull Harry’s lip from his teeth. Harry hadn’t even noticed himself engaging in the bad habit, but judging by the slight tang of iron in his mouth, he must have been doing it for awhile. “Why are you so reluctant? What reaction are you afraid of?”

“I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed,” Harry confessed, feeling the familiar churn of anxiety start to build in his stomach. “And maybe a bit angry.”

Edward could see and smell the faint trace of blood on Harry’s lips, but the pain of the venom in his throat just emboldened him. “In your dream you were asking someone not to hurt you. If it wasn’t me….was it someone in your family?”

Harry visibly recoiled from that, “No!” he immediately defended. “Of course not, my family would never hurt me.”

Harry vehement defense of his family feel way into silence, but this time Edward felt no need to break it. He had more than enough patience to wait for Harry to continue by himself. It only took a few more seconds of waiting before Harry poked his head up from the spot on the floor that he had been studying. “His name was Oliver.”

Edward let himself consider the implications for a few seconds. “Oliver was you boyfriend,” he connected, and at Harry’s trepidatious nod, “Did this Oliver hurt you?” 

Unwittingly, Harry’s mouth opened up and he flinched away to huddle deeper into the couch. Edward moved with him, sitting close enough that Harry could feel the chill radiating into his skin, especially when the vampire rested a comforting palm on his thigh.

“Sometimes…” Harry began quietly. “Sometimes he, uh,” Harry nervously picked at his sleeves and looked away. It seemed so odd now, to voice it; he’d never said it out loud before. “He’d get violent.” He finished the last part quietly, but it wasn’t nearly silent enough. Harry could physically feel the stiffening of Edward’s body and the tightening of his hand.

“He got violent?” Edward hissed out furiously. Harry swallowed and stayed silent and looking away until a smooth hand gently gripped his jaw. He turned with it and almost immediately flinched back when he was met with Edward’s furious and horrified face. 

Harry’s throat hitched and he desperately tried to hold back his tears. He knew Edward would be horrified, who wouldn’t be? He’d acted like a man’s punching bag for weeks and weeks and never fought back. How weak could you get?

Edward was angry beyond what anyone could imagine, just not for the reason Harry thought. His mate had been abused. The word was so vile and dirty that it made him recoil inside. He never wanted that word associated with Harry, ever. He looked over at the fragile human, prepared to cover him up and never let go, when he was met with the sight of Harry’s bright green eyes rapidly filling with tears.

“Harry?” he murmured softly as he slowly slipped closer to Harry’s huddled form. “I won’t hurt you…”

“I know you wont!” Harry snapped back quickly, angry at the familiar assertion that he was afraid of the vampire. “I’ve never thought that you would. This is why I didn’t want to tell you, it doesn’t matter!”

“Yes, it does. It does matter,” Edward growled firmly. “It matters because you are my mate. It matters because someone hurt you, and it matters because now I know exactly who to kill,” he threatened.

At Harry’s noise of protest, Edward growled again. “I will not discuss this,” He couldn’t, not with the venom filling his mouth so quickly it was all he could do to tolerate the burn. He had never been so filled with rage before.

Harry watched Edward closely, startled by the raw anger in his voice and the pure power of it. “You’re not mad at me?” It was a half question, half fear, and Edward immediately melted at the question and scooted forwards the rest of the was so that he could pull Harry in his arms. “No.” he stressed gently. “I’m not angry with you, love, not one bit. I don’t understand how anyone could be.”

“I didn’t stop him,” Harry voiced form inside his embrace. “I didn’t. I just let him do it, all the time. I should’ve-”

“You have nothing to feel guilty for,” Edward murmured back. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“Yes it was,” Harry argued stubbornly even though he just wanted to take Edward’s word for it. “I should have at least told someone when it was happening.”

Edward tightened his arms around his mate and bent forward to nuzzle his neck. “How often?” 

“How often what?” Harry asked, confused by the question. How often could he have stopped him? 

“How often did he hit you?”

Harry flinched at the bluntness of the statement. Hit him… it sounded odd when it was put that way. 

“Harry?”

“Edward,” he sighed. “Why do you want to know? It’s only going to make you angry, and it doesn’t even matter. It’s done and over and I have no intention of ever seeing his face again.” Except for on the side of the road, but once again, Edward didn’t really need to know about that break from reality.

“That I can promise you,” Edward reassured. “I’d still like an answer to my question though. Are you afraid to tell me?”

“I’m not afraid, not anymore,” Harry promised, truthful in his admission, “I just don’t know what to say.”

“As much as you can.”

Harry sighed again and shifted so his knees were pressed against his chest and his arms wrapped tight around himself. “You have to understand that he didn’t start off that way,” he finally began and Edward didn’t know if this was better or worse.

“I met him in school, and he had seemed so kind then; he was never rude or mean to me or anyone else. We’d been dating for a few month and...I thought I was falling in love with him,” Harry admitted in a shamed tone. Edward resisted the temptation to pull him into his lap and cuddle him, knowing that such an action was more likely to make him close up than let him in.

“It was a few weeks after that that it happened for the first time. He hit me, just once, and he immediately apologized and told me that he was sorry and he didn’t know what happened but that he wouldn’t ever do it again. I was shocked, but everyone makes mistakes so I forgave him and we both kinda pretended like it hadn’t happened.” Repeating all this made Harry feel embarrassed that he had ignored so many warning signs. Only the knowledge that Edward wasn't angry or judging him gave him the courage to continue.

And while he might have been giving off the impression of calmness, Edward was trying his hardest to see past the red blurring his vision. He took another steadying breath through his nose and grounded himself in the rhythmic sound of Harry’s still-too-fast heartbeat. 

Harry looked at Edward curiously, noting the drawn out breath the vampire took and the darkened eyes. He waited another second just to assure himself that Edward was still okay, feeling somewhat relieved when the vampire offered him a glimpse of a smile in response to his lingering look.

“After that everything was normal for about another week, until it happened again. We were talking about school, and he kept trying to get me to ditch with him so we could go somewhere else but I didn't want to, so he hit me again. This time he didn’t apologize and I didn’t say anything and we just kinda...left it. Pretended it was normal,” Harry shrugged, trying to play it off, and this time Edward couldn’t help but reach out and hold tightly to one of Harry’s hands. The look he received in response to such a simple gesture took his breath away and made him want to kill that man even more.

“Then it started getting worse. He would hit me more often and for more reasons. I knew I should’ve told someone, but I didn’t want to be known as the stupid kid who let his boyfriend beat him up every day. Then, by the time I did want to tell somebody, it was too far. He told me if I ever did tell anybody, that he’d kill me and at this point I believed he would. Then he’d say that it was my fault, that if I was better he wouldn’t hit me, and I started to believe that too.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Edward said firmly.

Harry gave a small smile and kissed the side of Edward’s mouth, “I know that now.”

Edward wasn’t too convinced, but he had all the time in the world to persuade Harry later so he let it drop. “What happened that changed it? Why did you leave when you did?”

This time it took a few seconds before Harry answered and that keyed Edward into how bad this was really going to be. “I ended up in the hospital,” he finally admitted in a reluctant tone, and before Edward could comment, Harry quickly continued the narrative. “I don’t remember much, but I guess someone found us and took me to the hospital. I’m not sure what happened to him after that since I never saw him again. The police did come to talk to me for a bit but I was too afraid so I just told them it was a mugging and that was that.”

“What treatments did you need in the hospital?” Edward asked curiously, both from a medical standpoint and so he knew how much damage to inflict when he tracked the offender down. Before he could give Harry a chance to respond though, he began to connect the dots in his head. “Every time you mentioned visiting the ER or other injuries…”

“Some days were worse than others,” Harry shrugged and it took every ounce of Edward’s willpower to not get up and hunt. 

“What did you need done in the hospital?” he pressed again, voice raspy from the sharp burning of venom pooling in his throat. He would need to hunt after this, but he didn’t know if he’d be able to bear leaving Harry alone just yet. There was also the slight concern that he shouldn’t be left unchaperoned, less he wanted to take an unplanned trip to London in the middle of the night. He shook off the distracting thoughts and refocused on Harry, who for his part, was studiously ignoring his gaze.

It wasn’t that Harry didn’t want to tell Edward; now that he had gotten over the main hurdle he was thankful that he had pressed for information. It was reliving not having to hide something so big from what was he was 99% positive was the love of his life. This though, this was a whole different matter. 

“Harry?”

Harry groaned and put his head down. “Give me a second.”

“This isn’t going to be one of those times where I give you a second and you somehow manage to come up with an extremely detailed distraction plan, is it?”

Harry couldn’t help but let out a bark of laughter at the wry response. For all that Edward’s dictator-like personality annoyed him, he could appreciate the fact that only he would be able to make him laugh at a time like this. “No distraction plans, I promise. I just need to get my thoughts in order.” 

Harry made no promises for full disclosure though. He wasn’t quite sure how much to tell him. What if Edward didn’t want him anymore, or thought he was disgusting? The vampire had assured him that whatever he said wouldn’t change anything, but surely he hadn’t had this in mind when making that promise. 

“I don’t know if I can remember everything,” Harry hedged after half a minute.

“You can tell me,” Edward coaxed gently, having a feeling that lack of clear memory wasn’t really what was causing Harry’s reluctance.

“It was just some things, Edward, not a lot,” he deflected but Edward kept staring at him with his unyielding gaze. “Also, would it kill you to blink every once in awhile?” he grumbled. “You might not be able to read my mind, but it sure feels like it when you do that.”

“Sorry,” Edward quirked up a small grin and make a conscious effort to remember to blink every few seconds. “Hospital?”

“He’d broken a few bones and they gave me some stuff for all of my bruising.”

Edward considered his mate in front of him, blinked again for good measure, then shook his head. “There’s something more,” he murmured.

Harry’s face crumpled, “You’re not gonna want me after you hear it,” he whispered ashamedly.

Edward had been stricken speechless more times tonight that he had all the last year. “Look at me,” he finally commanded, knowing that Harry wasn’t going to turn and face him until he asked. Even still, it took Harry a few measured seconds to turn his head. 

When he did finally meet his eyes, Edward surged forward and captured Harry’s lips in a kiss, making sure to only loosely cradle his neck to ensure he didn’t feel trapped. “Stop trying to scare me away because it’s not going to work,” he scolded with his lips still resting gently against Harry’s. “I do believe you’ve said something similar to me in the past.”

“I can be pretty scary,” Harry pouted into the kiss. The kiss had it’s intended purpose though, and when Edward pulled away, Harry felt some of the anxiety in his stomach dissipate. It was Edward’s patient eyes though that finally gave Harry enough courage to blurt it out, “I don’t remember much because I was unconscious. He…he had been too rough and I guess was bleeding too much to stay awake.”

“Been too rough…” It took Edward a few seconds too long to realize what Harry was talking about. “How many times did he rape you?” Edward asked, deceptively calm. Only his pitch black eyes gave way to the depth of anger he felt. His mate had been raped, maybe numerous times, and he had been afraid to tell him because he believed it would make him leave.

“He didn’t!” Harry protested, “he didn’t do that.”

“Did you tell him ‘no’ or try to fight?”

Harry hesitated a that, not quite sure how to take that question. “Yes, but it doesn’t matter. I was his boyfriend, he said he didn’t have to ask.”

“That is not how it works,” Edward said emphatically. “No one has the right to your body but you. It doesn’t matter if you’re married or strangers, if you say no then they have no right and anything else is rape.”

“Sometimes I didn’t say no,” Harry challenged.

“Did you want it?”

Harry shook his head, but judging from the slight frown, he still wasn’t convinced. Edward tried a new tactic.

“You and I are in bed. You want to have sex, and I don’t but because you’re my boyfriend it doesn’t matter and we do it anyways.”

Harry gaped at that and immediately recoiled, horrified at the thought. “No!” 

Edward leaned closer to meet Harry’s eyes, staring seriously into them. “If you do not want it, it is rape.”

Harry swallowed at that, feeling uncomfortably exposed at the conversation. Edward also seemed to sense that he was close to tears, because he abruptly backed up and sat back on the couch. “I love you,” he reassured.

Hearing those words make him look up in surprise, just in time to catch the fond smile Edward threw his way. The dark eyes softened into something more familiar and Edward learned forward to press another kiss to Harry’s forehead “I love you, and If I have to say it every thirty seconds until you believe me, I’ll do it gladly.”

Harry found himself smiling at that, unable to doubt the affectionate words and touches. “I love you more,” he teased, knowing it would elicit a reaction.

“You are incorrigible,” Edward groaned, rubbing a hand over his face to conceal his smile. He knew there was still so much to say to convince Harry that his past wasn’t his fault, but he couldn’t bring himself to worry about it now. They would have time for it later, when the sound of Harry’s playful laughter wasn’t echoing in his ear.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter! I probably won't get one out next weekend because I'll be so busy, but I'll try my hardest. Also, if anyone has any chapter suggestions, please please please comment them to me :) I have a general idea where the story is going, but I could always use some inspiration for a side plot or chapter happenings

Chapter 18  


“Thank you for telling me,” Edward said somewhat seriously once Harry had stopped giggling and the mood had started to calm again.

Harry smiled softly at the vampire and just tilted his head in acknowledgement, unsure of what else to say since he hadn’t really wanted to tell Edward at first. “What’s the plan now, partner?”

Edward hummed thoughtfully, trying to think of an activity that would brighten both of their moods. It was only in that moment of concentration, however, that he caught the faintest sound of movement downstairs, no doubt from his family. He took a second to collect his thoughts so he could sense what they were all thinking, having been too consumed with Harry before to notice their audience. When he did finally connect, it was all he could do to hide his grimace. Thoughts of anger and sadness immediately assaulted his senses, but he wasn’t so concerned with their reactions as he was with Harry’s once the human realized that he wasn’t the only one to hear his confession. He had assured his mate that they would be alone, and he couldn’t bear the thought of Harry knowing he had broken that trust.

“Let’s just stay up here for a bit longer,” he suggested as casually as he could, hoping that Harry wouldn’t want to go downstairs.

Harry fished his phone out of his pocket and pressed the home button, watching the screen light up with the current time. “I’m not sure,” he worried, “I have to be home soon. I’m cooking my dad dinner.”

“Your dad can cook himself dinner,” Edward bargained, deftly stealing the phone from Harry’s fingers.

“My dad is so focused on the recent murders that he’ll forget to eat,” Harry chuckled, stealing his phone back easily and putting it back in his pocket. “That man gets so focused on his cases that he all but ignores the rest of the world. Plus, if I let him cook dinner, he might just catch the house on fire.”

Still not ready to hand in the towel, Edward leaned closer and captured Harry’s lips in a kiss. “He’s survived just fine so far,” he suggested.

Harry grinned into the kiss and pulled away, “Barely. I believe he subsided purely on fish that he would catch every weekend up on the reservation. Without Sirius Black, he very may well have starved.”

“Sirius Black?” Edward titled his head at the name he hadn’t heard mentioned for a few decades.

“Hmm,” Harry nodded in agreement, “and his son, Jacob. My dad and them have been friends for a few years, I believe they help each other out with law enforcement every so often when something involves both the res and town.”

“I wasn’t aware Sirius had a son,” Edward mused.

“He’s about my age,” Harry supplemented before shaking his head, “Either way, I really do have to be home soon. As much as I love spending time with you, I’d also like to ensure my father doesn’t starve to death.”

At this moment, Edward wished for nothing more than his power be able to be used in reverse. Being able to read minds did very little to help him when all he needed was for someone else to read his. Unfortunately, he could clearly hear his family downstairs gathered in the living room oblivious to his current situation.

Harry scooted to the edge of the couch and gracefully stood up, waiting patiently for Edward to follow his lead and also rise from the chair.

“Harry -“ Edward began, knowing it would be best to warn Harry ahead of time. His mate didn’t give him a chance to explain though, cutting him off before he could get it out.

“You’re not going to convince me otherwise,” Harry laughed and pulled Edward up. Rather, Edward let Harry think he pulled him up, knowing full well his mate didn’t have the strength to pull up his stone-like figure.

“That’s not what I was going to say,” Edward murmured almost weakly, wincing as he thought of the reaction waiting for them yet unable to build up the courage to tell Harry himself. Such cowardly actions for a vampire, but he couldn’t find it in myself to laugh at the irony of a vampire afraid of a human.

Harry ignored his comment and opened the door, leading them both out of the room and down the stairs. He felt remarkably more relaxed than he thought he would. It almost felt as if a few pounds had been lifted off his shoulder. At least, it did until he came to the bottom of the stairs and found 6 pairs of golden eyes waiting for him.

It was silent for a few seconds, the only sound in the room the unsteady beating of Harry’s human heart, thudding so unnaturally loud that even the human could hear it clear as day.

“Harry?” Edward asked nervously, knowing by the uneven beat of the normally steady heart that Harry definitely wasn’t okay.

“Edward,” Harry responded in the same tone, though his voice definitely contained a more stony inflection.

The Cullens facing them were silent, and Harry couldn’t find it in himself to address them, too horrified to even consider the implications of them being here. By the looks on their faces and their body posture, he knew better than to assume they had only just arrived. Out of the corner of his eyes he could just barely see around the corner into the living room where it looked as if a small bomb had gone off with broken furniture littering the ground. Tiny splinters were stuck to the carpet next to some feathers which he could only assume came from a torn pillow.

What bothered him most wasn’t the sight of broken furniture, however. It was the look in the eyes of the people facing him, people from whom he had tried so hard to earn respect. Standing there in painful silence, he could almost visualize that respect flying out the window and waving a cheeky goodbye.

“…what are you thinking?” Edward urged, breaking the silence, almost fearful of the response he was going to get. He understood Harry was furious with him for not hearing the others after he’d promised to keep their conversation private. His mate had every right to be angry and upset, but right now the silence was worrying him. 

“I’m not sure I’m capable of thought right now.” Harry said, still shellshocked into silence.

“Are you angry?”

“I’m not sure I’m capable of anger either,” came the dry response.

Harry took a deep breath, recognizing from the growing burning in his chest that he had forgotten to breathe in the minute since he had come downstairs. Reminding himself to continue breathing, he took a half second to look around the room, afraid of what he would see but also needing to know what he was dealing with.

Emmett was standing off to the side, his usually puppy-like happiness gone and replaced with blinding rage that was evident in his darkened eyes and his clenched hands. Seeing such an imposing figure so angry made his pulse quicken for a brief second before he reminded himself that this was Emmett who had been nothing but welcoming from the beginning. He was more nervous to look at Rosalie, not knowing what to expect but assuming it would be some sort of disgust or heightened dislike. He was surprised, however, to find that all he received from her was a soft, sympathetic smile. He made a note to wonder about that later, letting his eyes continue on their searching path.

Looking at Alice and Esme had to be the hardest. Alice, usually so bubbly and friendly, was standing next to an expressionless Jasper with a small frown and hurt eyes. Esme looked about ready to cry, her face morphed into an expressing of grief.

Harry learned back on his heels, took a deep inhale, and ran a hand over his face. “I don’t reckon we can all take a blood oath to keep quiet, can we?” he said with a quiet, huffing laugh.

“Was that an amused laugh or an angry laugh?” Edward questioned with a grimace.

“I don’t think you really want an answer to that.”

“That’s fair,” Edward nodded, wincing at the curt response.

Harry took another look around the room and shook his head lightly in regret at the heartbroken gazes of his two favorite non-Edward vampires. “It wasn’t really that bad,” he tried to assure the two girls, but that just made them look sadder and everyone else look angrier. He refused to turn around to see Edward’s reaction, not trusting himself to remain calm with Edward’s eyes on him.

Still, the first dry sob coming out of Esme made Harry feel so absolutely horrible and guilty he couldn’t stop his own tears from filling his eyes, despite avoiding looking at Edward for fear of that very thing happening. “It really wasn’t,” he promised again, somewhat desperately this time. “Everyone gets hit around sometimes, there’s millions of relationships where it happens. Not to mention, I’m here in Forks now which is a good distance away from London.”

“Not so far of a distance that I couldn’t be there by nightfall,” Emmett growled quietly to himself, flexing his knuckles so loudly that Harry nearly flinched at the fist crack.

It was Carlisle that spoke up in the following silence, surprising Harry. “The fact that there are others that have been in a similar situation, does not negate yours,” he corrected gently. “You were abused, and it matters very much. Not because we think less of you now, but because you are a part of our family, and we want you to be safe, and feel safe.”

“I do,” Harry whispered quietly, avoiding Carlisle’s gaze.

“You did not deserve to be hit. Ever.” Emmett now growled, his voice a sharp contrast between the gentle tone of the patriarch. “No one will ever lay a hand on you again,” he promised and Harry could feel the vibrations of Edward’s approving growl behind him.

“We’re sorry for eavesdropping,” Rosalie spoke up this time. “We weren’t aware it as a private conversation and once we heard….we couldn’t stop listening,” she admitted.

Harry nodded quietly, feeling his heart still beating way too hard to be healthy. Appreciating her honesty, he offered Rosalie and the rest of the Cullens a forgiving smile, hoping they understood that he didn’t have any hard feelings. He could feel Edward shifting closer behind him, but before the Vampire could get any closer he turned around and sent him a testy glare.

“Oh, don’t think you’re off the hook just yet,” he threatened with as threatening of a glare a human could produce.

Edward looked up with a feigned innocent expression but Harry cut him off before he could even try to defend himself. “You know what you did, Edward Cullen, so don’t even try to get out of it.”

 

At that, the mood in the room lightened a bit as Alice and Emmett started quietly laughing, enjoying seeing Edward in trouble with the small human. “Rule number one, son,” Carlisle chuckled, “never play innocent and always accept fault.”

Edward stepped closer again, feeling relieved when Harry didn’t shy away this time, and wrapped his arms securely around his mate. “I am sorry,” he murmured, “I know I promised to make sure we were alone, but I truly didn’t hear them come in. I wasn’t intentionally trying to deceive you.”

Harry sighed and relaxed into the hold, “Fine, but I’m still angry.”

“That’s fair,” Edward echoed again.

“It is,” Harry nodded sagely.

“Where does that leave me?” 

“Besides the doghouse?” Harry raised an eyebrow. 

Edward groaned at his family’s laughter and nodded, trying his luck by pressing a kiss to Harry’s forehead.

“You’re lucky I can’t hold a grudge,” Harry laughed, unable to stay angry when faced with the clearly fearful expression on his vampire’s face. He turned back to face the Cullens, finding them in varying states ranging from still-present anger to amusement and fondness. Seeing the welcoming expressions didn’t make him any less nervous to address them, however.

“Just to clarify, no one knows and I would prefer it to stay that way,” he began awkwardly, dancing from foot to foot while still somewhat constrained by Edward’s arms.

“James?” Alice asked, speaking for the first time since Harry had come downstairs.

Harry shrugged, “He knows I was in the hospital for my specific injuries because of someone, but that singular incident is the extent of what he knows.” He was most worried about Carlisle’s response to his request, knowing that his job as a doctor came with a certain moral code. He was relieved, however, when the Cullen patriarch just gave him a subtle nod when he sensed his concerned gaze. “Thank you,” he murmured quietly.

“For the record, this was not how I intended this day to go,” Harry sighed in the following silence. “Though I suppose I should have known better than to expect anything else,” he shook his head tragically and offered everyone a slight smile in an attempt to ease the awkwardness. 

Edward huffed a short laugh against Harry’s neck and shook his head fondly at his mate. “I suppose you’d like me to drive you home now?”

“Mmm, you’d suppose correctly.”

“And am I too optimistic to suppose that you’ll ever want to return again later?” 

Harry laughed at that, “That may indeed be too optimistic.” 

“I do hope you don’t let this make you reluctant to return,” Esme worried in a motherly tone. “You’re always welcome here, with or without Edward.”

Harry smiled at the woman, heart filling with fondness for the motherly figure. “It’ll take a bit more yet for Edward to scare me away,” he chuckled. “Though I am hoping that my next visit isn’t so shocking,” he said with a pointed look behind him.

Edward released Harry and stepped up to his side so he could take his hand instead. “In that endeavor I’ll try my best,” he promised before gently guiding Harry towards the door, sensing the human was more than ready to leave.

“Bye, Harry. I’ll see you at lunch!” Alice said cheerily, though everyone caught the still subdued undercurrent. Harry just offered the girl a smile and nodded, waving goodbye to the rest of the family before Edward all but ushered him out the door.

The walk to the car was silent, both of them waiting before they were in the Volvo with the car doors shut before speaking. 

Edward waiting for Harry to buckle himself in before starting the engine and turning to face the human. “I know I said this inside, but I would like to offer you a sincere apology. I was so focused on you that I didn’t hear them enter until just before we went downstairs. I had no intention of allowing them to hear anything, and I can fully assure you that they will remain quiet about what they heard.”

Harry nodded, feeling as if he might as well have been a bobblehead for all he had done it that day. “I know and I forgive you. I’m not exactly happy about it, but I trust that they wont say anything.”

Edward sighed in relief and nodded, giving Harry a grateful smile before leaning forward to press a chaste kiss against his lips. “I can’t promise I wont bring it up again,” he said lowly, knowing better than to expect so much of himself, “but I can promise that knowing this about you doesn’t change anything. You are still the same person, and I love that person endlessly.”

Harry blushed brightly at those words and offered Edward a shy smile before initiating a kiss of his own. “Thank you,” and both of them understood the depth of emotion under those simple words.

“Are you dropping me off or coming inside?” Harry asked as Edward put the car into drive and made a narrow turn in the driveway.

“Dropping you off, if you don’t mind,” Edward looked at Harry out of the corner of his eye as he turned out of their driveway onto the street that would take them to the main road. “I feel an…intense need to hunt tonight, or at least before school tomorrow.”

Harry grimaced, “Mountain lions, right?”

“Mountain lions,” Edward agreed with a wry smile, knowing that they both understood the unspoken idea that it wouldn't be a mountain lion on his mind tonight when he took down his prey. The only thing keeping the detestable human alive was the knowledge that killing Oliver wouldn’t make Harry feel better. If he had thought that murdering the abuser would make Harry feel even second of relief, he would do it in a heartbeat, regardless of what Carlisle would say. Especially knowing that most of his family would back him. He had read the thoughts of murder and death, especially in Rosalie and Emmet’s mind, even Jasper’s. If anything, he knew his siblings would enthusiastically help him enact revenge.

“Should I lock my window tonight then?” Harry wondered, unable to stop the feeling of disappointment at the thought of the vampire not joining him.

“I’ll be back,” Edward promised. “Leave it unlocked, and if I’m not back by the time you go to bed, I’ll have a member of my family keep an eye just in case.”

“Will do, though I think I’ll be fine without a patrol,” he teased.

“The patrol is more for my piece of mind than yours,” Edward answered wryly. “You appear to take many more liberties with your safety than I can sanely support.”

“You say liberties and I say you overreact,” Harry turned to smile fondly at the overprotective vampire. For all that he grouched at the bronze-haired boy, he couldn’t help but feel satisfied that he cared so much for his safety. Even if he sometimes wished he’d keep the concern to himself.

“Regardless,” Edward murmured. “I shouldn’t be out too late. I’ll try not to wake you if you’re asleep, though.”

Harry shook his head at that, “I’d tell you to wake me anyways, but I’m not sure you even could. I’ve been told I’m quite a heavy sleeper.” 

Edward laughed at that and silently agreed with the statement, fondly remembering the first time he had tried to check up on Harry in the night. The silly human had left his window open and, not wanting him to catch a cold during the week of snowy weather, he had tried to shut the window. Unfortunately he had incorrectly estimated the force it would take, and he had been sure the resulting slam would have startled him awake. Harry hadn’t even flinched though.

Edward pulled into the driveway, both of them noting the absence of a police cruiser. “I’ll pick you up for school tomorrow?” 

“I do have a car I can drive to school, you know,” Harry grinned.

“You do,” Edward agreed, “but then how would I ask you questions before school?”

“Yes, that would make that difficult,” Harry noted. “However, if you’re going to insist that you get to drive to school, I insist that I get to ask the questions tomorrow.”

“That’s a fair tradeoff,” Edward agreed, silently wondering at the questions his devious mate could possibly think to ask. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that the thought slightly worried him.

Harry unbuckled his seat belt and opened up the side door, flashing Edward one last cheeky grin before sliding out of his seat. “I’ll see you tonight,” he restated one last time before swinging the car door shut and walking towards the front door, offering one last wave as the Volvo reversed out of the driveway.

It was another hour before James got home, and in that time Harry had managed to tidy up the downstairs a little bit and start preparations for dinner. He hoped his dad was okay with spaghetti, because they were woefully lacking in groceries again.

“How was your day?” Harry called from the kitchen as he heard the front door open and James start to take off his work gear, hanging it up in its usually spot. 

“Interesting,” James responded, walking into the kitchen too see what his son was up to. “What’s for dinner?”

“Spaghetti, I hope that’s okay. We’re running low on groceries again so I might have to go sometime this week.”

James gave a hefty sigh and rubbed his stomach. “Sounds great,” he practically moaned. “I forgot lunch today so I’ve been starving.”

Harry shook his head at the man’s forgetfulness but he supposed he couldn’t fault him. “Anything new come up today?”

“Actually, yes. We have a new deputy.”

Harry turned away from the cutting board where he had just placed a loaf of bread. “A new deputy?”

“A new deputy,” James nodded. “I was as surprised as you. We don’t normally get too many newcomers here, as you can imagine. He had great credentials though and we could always use more help, especially right now with our patrols spread so thin.”

Harry hummed to show he was listening and turned back to dinner, slicing the bread in half and slathering a garlic and butter mixture on each half before carrying them over to the open oven and sliding them inside. “Do you like him?”

James’s hesitance before answering told him all he needed to know. “Whats wrong with him?”

“Nothing’s wrong with him,” James began slowly. “I’m just…not too sure about him yet. On paper, he looks great, but some of his behaviors are just…odd.”

“How so?” Harry learned against the counter and frowned softly at his father, who upon further examination looked exhausted.

“Well we figured we’d stick him on traffic duty today just to get him warmed up and familiar with the town. Didn’t seem too pleased with it though. He kept asking us about the murders, bringing it up even when we weren’t talking about it.”

“It is pretty interesting,” Harry reasoned.

“I suppose,” James hesitated. “Anyways, we ended up letting him shadow us for the rest of the day. I’m tempted to have him on desk duty tomorrow though. If he can’t work all aspects of law enforcement without complaint, he shouldn't be a deputy.”

Harry turned back around the the stove to stir the boiling pasta. “Anything big happen other than that?”

“All quiet on that front!” James learned back and inhaled deeply. “Smells great, carebear.”

Harry groaned in complaint at the nickname, thinking back on the fact that Edward now knew that backstory. Stupid, mind-reading vampire.

“How was your day? What did you get up to after school?”

Harry grimaced into the pot of pasta and stirred a bit more vigorously than was probably necessary. “Nothing much,” he lied, knowing it would be easier to deny the entire trip to the Cullens happened than pick and choose parts to be honest about. “Edward drove me home and we did a little homework in the living room. It was a pretty boring day, honestly.”

“Well I’m hoping for many more boring days in Forks,” James gave a short, unamused laugh. “This case is still driving me crazy. I even had Dr. Cullen come over the other day to look at the bodies and give me some medical insight that the autopsy might have missed.”

“And was there?”

James just shook his head. “He was as baffled as the rest of us about the injuries and lack of evident first strike. I’m thinking about sending it off to see if any other districts have something that matches. Besides that though there’s nothing we can do right now but wait and hope something else comes along that will help us connect more dots.” 

Harry could connect those dots on his own…they were waiting for another body to turn up and hoping that this time it would at least offer more evidence.

“On that note,” Harry grimaced, “dinner?” 

At James nod, Harry served them both some spaghetti and garlic bread. He carried the plates to the table where conversation turned away from murder and stuck on school, how Harry was adjusting to the town, and whether or not either of them had heard anything particularly interesting today.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter! It's been awhile since I updated, partially because I've been busy, and partially because this chapter is twice as long as usual. I hope you all enjoy! Also wishing everyone a happy start to the winter season!
> 
> Note: I dont have anyone proofreading this, so if you notice something wrong, please bring it to my attention so I can fix it :)

Chapter 19

Harry woke up groggily, immediately noticing that it was still dark outside his window. He groaned a bit and turned over in the sheets, trying futilely to get comfortably again before shoving them a bit to the side so he could get out of bed. He hated it when he woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep, but looking at the clock that showed it was just approaching 6am, he knew that was what had happened this morning.

He figured he might as well take advantage of it though and get cleaned up and make some breakfast. As he shrugged off his pajamas and pulled a towel around him, he noticed the slight ache in his arms but put it off as remaining exhaustion. It was only when he stepped in the hot shower sprays and felt nausea well-up that he started to rethink.

Harry let out an overdramatic moan and pressed his cheek to the cold tiles of the shower, angling his body so that water was still running down him but his head was out of the spray. You’re not getting sick, he tried to a argue with himself, you’re just not feeling well because it’s so early….

He repeated this mantra as he washed his hair off then stepped out of the shower, drying himself off hastily then crawling back under the sheets of his bed, snuggling into them to try and find some remaining warmth. It had been a fine temperature before the shower, but it was freezing now. He momentarily debated skipping school but reluctantly decided he couldn’t. Besides, it would be the weekend in a day and he could make it through a few hours of just sitting in class. 

Taking another look at the clock and seeing that close to half an hour had passed, Harry slowly rose from his bed and stumbled over to his dresser where he pulled out some boxers, jeans, and an odd assortment of tops that he figured he could layer. By the time he had finished dressing himself he was wearing a short sleeve, an old flannel belonging to his father, and a sweatshirt over them both.

Declaring himself fit for school, he wandered downstairs and started on a breakfast that he likely wouldn't be eating. 

“Morning,” James called our roughly as he stumbled into the kitchen and filled up a mug with the coffee Harry had already brewed.

“What’re you doing up so early?”

“I woke up early and didn’t feel the best,” Harry said honestly as he flipped the last pancake and slid it onto a plate. “Figured keeping busy would be the best thing.”

“You staying home from school?” James accepted the plate Harry gave him and tore into the pancakes eagerly, moaning in delight. “It’s been so long since I’ve had breakfast,” he offered, noticing Harry’s gaze.

Harry laughed at that and shook his head, walking over to make himself a cup of coffee. “That’s what happens when you don't cook it,” he teased.

“School?” James prompted again, laughing when Harry took a small sip of the coffee and immediately grimaced.

“School,” Harry agreed with a sigh and nod. “It’s almost the weekend and I’m not actually feeling too sick. I’m still hoping that this is just a product of waking up too early or something.”

James took his plate over to the sink and washed it down quickly before placing it in the dishwasher. “Alright, come home if you need to though. I’m off to work but I’ll see you tonight.”

Harry waved a goodbye to him and tried another sip of the bitter brew, still finding it to be relatively tasteless but at least it wasn’t upsetting his stomach. It was barely approaching seven so he still had a bit of time before Edward picked him up. Just enough time to pick up the kitchen, enjoy his cup of coffee, and maybe motivate himself to actually be productive today.

The time passed by quickly though and Harry barely had time to chug down he rest of his cup of coffee when he saw Edward’s Volvo pull up in his driveway.

You can do this, Harry told himself with a steely resolve. He grabbed his backpack, swung it over his shoulders, and marched out to the car, barely remembering to lock the door on his way out.

“No coffee,” Edward noted when Harry climbed in the passenger seat.

“Nope,” Harry offered him a small side grin then turned to face the front of the car before Edward could question him on his haggard appearance. He had looked in the mirror before he left and he knew he didn’t look very pretty.

“Hmmm,” Edward narrowed his eyes at that but turned back to the road, knowing it bothered Harry when he didn’t pay attention, even though he still had complete control of the vehicle even without looking forward. “How was your night last night? You seemed to sleep pretty well through it.”

“No nightmares,” Harry assured him, this time turning to face him with a grin. “I didn’t notice you coming in though.”

“It seemed like a deep sleep,” Edward agreed with a warm laugh. “You were snoring.”

“No I wasn’t!” Harry gaped indignantly and turned to fully face the vampire. “You’re a dirty liar,” he accused.

“I assure you I’m not lying. I was surprised myself at such a big noise coming from such a little person,” he teased, this time keeping his eyes on the road just so Harry wouldn’t be able to see the humor in his gaze.

Harry shook stubbornly, ”I do not snore,” he grumbled.

Edward took another glance at Harry, noting the way he was dressed and how he as holding himself. “You don’t normally,” he agreed.

“Feeling okay today, partner?”

“Feeling great!” Harry lied.

“Really?” Edward said doubtfully. “Why are you wearing that ridiculous outfit then?”

Harry was kinda offended at that. Sure, he was wearing a few more layers than normal, but he didn’t think it deserved the title of ridiculous. He had even tried his best to match colors and patterns. “I like this outfit,” he pouted, “and maybe you should focus on your own outfit. Wearing a short sleeve in this weather isn’t exactly normal for humans.”

Instead of replying, Edward just reached back, one hand still on the wheel, and pulled up a black leather jacket. He grinned at Harry's pout and lightly tossed it on the human’s lap. “I figured I’d bring it in, though if you're cold you can borrow it too.”

Actually, Harry was beginning to get a bit overheated in his outfit. “I think I’m good,” he grimaced. “It’s getting pretty warm out, I might take off my jacket soon too.”

A quick glance towards the car dash told Edward that the temperature outside was in the low 40s. His stubborn little human was clearly sick. “It’s too cold to take off your jacket. Are you sick?”

Harry gaped at him, “I…am not sick!” he protested weakly.

Edward pulled into the school parking lot and pulled smoothly into a parking space closer to the front of the school than he would typically, not wanting Harry to walk too far. “I’m sure I’m not going to convince you to go home,” he sighed defeatedly, “Just please be sensible. I don’t want to see you without a jacket today,” he warned.

“Yes, mother,” Harry grinned at him, heart half warmed by the clear worry and half frozen because, well, he might be sick.

“You are impossible,” Edward shook his head but offered his mate a smile in return. Concern was still resting heavy in his chest but he knew he wouldn’t be able to convince Harry of anything now. Perhaps by lunch his human would allow him to take him home…

“I know,” Harry smiled innocently and opened up the door so he could stumble out of the car. He was actually feeling pretty alright right now. It wasn’t too cold or too hot and he wasn’t feeling ache-y anymore. His hope had returned that this had just been a morning sickness from waking up too early. 

Seeing how Edward was still sporting a small concerned frown, he reached up on his tippy toes and pressed a kiss to the cold cheek. “I’m fine,” he promised, hand reaching out to quickly grasp Edward’s before he could pull it away.

“You’re going to get cold,” Edward’s voice rose in protest but Harry stubbornly ignored that and marched on towards the school, all but pulling Edward along beside him. In fact, Harry ignored all of Edward’s protests until they reached the front of the building that held the classes, at which point he squeezed the cold hand, offered a cheeky smile, and threw out a “See you at lunch!”

He couldn’t hear what Edward said in response to that, but judging from the tone of the mumble, he knew it was probably something deprecatory about his quick departure. Silly vampire being so concerned…it was probably just a head cold, nothing to be worried about and certainly nothing that was bad enough to keep him home and collecting absent work to complete later.

Harry wandered into his first class and sat down in his assigned seat, grabbing a few tissues on his way just in case his nose decided to start running during class. He maintained that the worst part about a cold was a runny or stuffy nose. Not only was it gross, it was just so annoying. He really never took enough time in his daily life to appreciate being able to breathe out of his nose, because not being able to was absolutely torture. His nose was feeling fine and clear this morning, but Harry didn’t want to take any chances of doing the awkward emergency run to the tissues if he sneezed unexpectedly.

As the class wore on though, his nose remained perfectly normal. Instead of being happy about that development, however, Harry just grew more concerned. His dry nose combined with the growing joint aches clearly hinted away from a cold and towards the flu. That thought kept his mind occupied through the rest of his classes, and by the time lunch rolled around, Harry was stubbornly pulling on his second jacket as he walked into the cafeteria, thinking of ways he could stop Edward from unnecessarily worrying…and maybe also how to steal his jacket without him noticing. 

Harry scowled threateningly as he walked up to Edward’s and his typical table, seeing the pale boy already sitting down with a tray of food and staring at him with a judgmental look. “No, I’m not sick. I’m feeling just fine, and stop bringing it up,”

“Afternoon,” Edward nodded to him, raising an eyebrow at the new jacket adorning Harry’s body and trying not to laugh at Harry’s sullen entrance to the cafeteria. “Lunch?”

Harry grimaced at the sight of the food-filled tray that was pushed in his direction. “Pass.”

“I thought you weren’t sick?”

“I thought you weren't going to bring it up anymore,” Harry countered still sassily.

At that, Edward finally broke and started laughing. “Of course, love. What are your plans for the rest of the day?”

Harry broke out of his scowl and smiled a bit sheepishly at the vampire, knowing that he was being a bit bratty. “Would you mind just dropping me off straight home after school today?”

“Of course,” Edward assured.

“Thanks,” Harry took a second look at the food and tentatively picked up a bread roll, observing it as if it were a wild creature ready to attack him. After a few more seconds of Harry watching the roll and Edward watching Harry, the human took a small bite of the bread then immediately recoiled. 

“You are sick.”

“I’m sick,” Harry finally sighed in defeat, putting the bread down on the table.

Edward laughed a little and learned forward, pushing the tray of food off to the side so it wouldn't bother Harry. “Why don't I just drop you off at home right now? I’ll call into the office for you.”

“I’m not sick-sick,” Harry tried to explain. “I’m just not feeling 100 percent, not like the flu or anything. It’s probably honestly just me being tired.”

“I’m taking you home,” Edward said definitively.

“No, you aren’t.”

Edward groaned at that and leveled his mate with a slight glare. “Why are you the most stubborn creature?”

“Alright, alright,” Harry finally conceded. “You can take me home, but just because I want to make you happy. I am absolutely not sick enough to be taken home.”

“Of course,” Edward agreed in such an over-exaggerated manner Harry just knew he was mocking him. Edward stood up from the table and offered Harry his arm, which he grumpily accepted, then lead them both to the front office. Five minutes and one explanation later, Harry was being driven home at a speed way above the legal limit.

“I’m pretty sure the speed limit does not go this high,” He said dryly.

“Does it not?” Edward grinned but obligingly slowed down as he turned the corner that took him onto Harry’s street. As he got closer to Harry’s house he started to slow down even further, face now pulled into a frown. 

“Edward?” Harry asked confused by the actions.

“Someone is at your house,” Edward noted, barely crawling along now. Not just someone either, he could smell them several houses away. Sirius Black and another who he assumed was the son, Jacob, that Harry had mentioned earlier. He tried to restrain the growl threatening to erupt out of his chest at the unexpected visitors, but Harry still seemed to sense his displeasure by the way the human kept glancing at him out of the corner of his eyes.

“Who?” Harry almost didn't want to know. Judging by Edward’s reaction, these apparently weren’t visitors that Edward was pleased to see. “Where are you going?” Edward had driven past his house and was now continuing on to the end of the street.

“It’s the Blacks; Sirius, and I’m guessing his son,” Edward sighed, pulling his car around the the end of the block.

“Oh,” Harry sighed, somewhat annoyed by the new development. He wasn’t exactly up for entertaining visitors and he was a little curious as to why they were there when his father was still at the station. He also wondered why Edward seemed so displeased by their presence. Granted, he wasn’t very happy either, but Edward had a very visceral reaction. 

“They shouldn’t be there, especially without your father home,” Edward nearly hissed through clenched teeth.

“Is that why you’re so bothered,” Harry pursed his lips in confusion and turned to face the vampire, noticing that his eyes were darker than they had been when they’d left the school.

Edward hesitated before answering his mate. Harry didn’t know the history behind the Quileute reservation and he knew it wasn’t his place to tell, both because it would break the treaty his family had formed with them, and because he had heard that the gene that affected that population had died out in the recent decades. Still though, they were dangerous, with our without the activated gene, and he didn’t want them and their tempers anywhere near his mate. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for them to be in your home at this moment,” he carefully crafted his answer. “Besides, you're sick and shouldn't be entertaining guests.”

“Hmm,” Harry hummed. “I do admit to being curious as to why they’re here. They did this the other week too, but that was just because James was running late at the station and they had showed up a bit early. Still nearly gave me a heart attack though. I’ll just tell them that I’m not feeling the best and redirect them to the station if they want to visit my dad.”

Edward still didn’t look too happy, but he did put his car back into drive and slowly roll forward until he reached Harry’s driveway. 

Seeing that the Black’s car was already in the driveway, he pulled his own car up to the curb, even more resentful now that Harry would have to walk further to the door. He gave a frustrated sigh and put the car into park, leaning forward to help Harry undo his seatbelt before capturing his lips in a gentle kiss. “Call me if you need anything, alright?” 

“I suppose, if I really need something,” Harry agreed cheekily, offering up a small smile that turned into a bigger one when Edward moved up to press one last kiss his nose. “I’ll call you later tonight around 6?”

“Sounds perfect,” Edward murmured. “I love you, you stubborn human.”

“I think you’ve got me matched on stubbornness,” Harry smirked, “but I love you as well.” 

Edward reluctantly unlocked the car door and watched as Harry grabbed his backpack then slid out of his seat, closing the door behind him and waving a goodbye. He was still opposed to leaving him alone with the Blacks; he didn’t trust them, but he knew very well that he couldn’t exactly follow Harry inside to confront them. Even his presence would be asking for trouble. Harry had said he’d call at 6 though, and that knowledge satisfied him enough to allow himself to pull out of the driveway and head to his own home to tell Carlisle of this new development. The werewolf gene may have died out in the past decade, but the knowledge of a new generation of pack members still needed to be passed on.

————

Harry took a breath and steeled himself for the upcoming confrontation. He really hated being rude, but he didn’t want to deal with people today and entertaining visitors in his house hadn’t been part of his plan. He just wanted to go inside, curl up under a blanket, and gather up the courage to drive to the hospital and politely request a flu shot in hopes that it would stop his sickness in its track.

Instead he was standing outside his front door, dancing from foot to foot as he tried to convince himself to just get it over with.

As it turned out, he didn’t even have to make the first move because not even a second later, the door swung open slowly and a familiar face peaked out. “Harry?”

“Hello, Jacob,” Harry sighed and opened the door all the way so he could step inside his house. 

Jacob shut the door behind Harry and followed the raven-haired boy as he walked over to the unoccupied armchair and set his bag down. 

“We saw that your truck is still here,” Jacob broke he silence, seeming almost disappointed that Harry wasn’t driving the car he had built. “Who dropped you off?”

“Edward,” Harry answered shortly, “He drives me to school sometimes.”

“Cullen?” Sirius black leaned forward in his arm chair, eyes narrowed and suddenly alert. Harry nearly started at the unexpected loud declaration, not even really noticing Sirius on the couch in absence of a greeting.

“Cullen,” Harry confirmed somewhat suspiciously, wondering why that had deserved such a reaction from the man.

Sirius grimaced and sat back on the couch, looking slightly awkward as he cleared his throat. “You need to be careful. How well do you actually know that family? The Cullen’s aren't what they appear to be on the outside,” he warned.

Harry bristled at that, angry at the quick judgement and the fact that these strangers were intruding on his personal life. “I know the Cullen’s very well, and I know they don't deserve anyone talking down about them,” Harry’s tone left no room for argument, something that Sirius seemed to catch on to because he didn’t say anything in response.

Jacob looked nervously between the two figures, Harry still glaring challengingly and Sirius meeting his gaze. “Anyways, how was your day, Harry?”

Seeming to deflate a bit, Harry began to shrug off his first layer of jackets. “I’m feeling a bit under the weather,” He admitted. “To be honest, I really wasn’t expecting visitors and I’m afraid I’m not in good shape to entertain. If you’re looking for my father, he’s at the station and he’ll be there until pretty late I’m guessing. Feel free to visit him there or I can just tell him you’ve dropped by.”

Jacob opened his mouth to respond with his usually puppy-like enthusiasm but Sirius cut him off before he could. “We’re actually not here to see James. He mentioned that he wanted us to keep an eye on the house in light of recent events.”

Harry really, really wasn’t in the mood. “Well I’m here now to keep an eye on the house,” he said as friendly as he could with frustration, and a bit of nausea, welling up inside his chest. 

Seeing that neither of them made a move to rise, Harry crossed his arms a bit stubbornly. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I really don’t want company over right now. I’ll call James and explain so that you don't have to when you get back home.”

“Of course, we didn’t mean to intrude,” Sirius rose from his position on the couch, and after giving Harry one last glance, starting walking towards the front door. Jacob tailed right behind him with an almost painful looking expression. Harry would have laughed at the clear awkwardness reflected in his expression, but he was feeling just a little too annoyed and a little too sick to engage in it, so instead he just offered him a wave goodbye.

As soon as they left, Harry walked over the the door and clicked the lock shut before returning to the couch and falling face-down on it with a huff. Setting a mental clock for 15 minutes, he closed his eyes and tried to relax. That encounter had really raised his blood pressure and in the aftermath he felt a small bit of guilt swirl around in his stomach. He groaned at all the conflicting feelings and rolled over, grabbing the remote to click on some mindless television to entertain him.

When his estimated 15 minutes were up and he was suitably bored by the show on tv, he dragged himself off the couch and walked to the counter to grab the keys to his truck. Taking one last longing look to the inviting couch, he grabbed his discarded jacket and exited the house, making sure to double check the lock this time. 

On the way to the doctors he did a quick self assessment. His joints were still aching ever so slightly, but not enough to be concerning. His stomach felt a bit upset but for the most part the earlier nausea had faded, and aside from the fact that his body temperature was still out of wack, he felt somewhat okay. He was feeling confident in his decision to get the flu shot before he got even more sick, and hopefully in time to prevent James from getting the flu from him too. Assuming, of course, that James wasn’t the one to pass it to him in the first place. It was always so hard to judge who had transferred it to who…

Pulling into the parking lot, his only concern now was that Carlisle would be his doctor.

Naturally, he was the first face to greet him as he walked into the empty waiting room.

“Harry?” the elder said in slight concern.

“Hi,” Harry offered him a small smile in greeting. 

“Is everything okay?” The patriarch walked over to him in concern, running an eye over him critically. He gave a nod to the nurse at the counter as he gently lead Harry through the door.

“All good! I’m just here for a flu shot. I think I need to sign in though,” Harrys said, turning his head to look back at the entrance and the nurse still waiting there.

“That’s not necessary, it’s a pretty quiet day,” Carlisle said conversationally, opening up a door to their left. “I was just coming in to check and see if there were any walk-ins because it’s been so unnaturally quiet.”

“Oh, alright then,” Harry followed the silent instructions and hopped up on the table, feeling the paper crinkle underneath him as he sat down. 

Carlisle offered Harry a smile, noticing how he was looking around the room somewhat nervously, no doubt anxious. “This won’t take very long,” he promised. “I’m just going to ask you a few questions first.”

Harry adjusted himself slightly to get more comfortable and nodded quickly.

“To start, how are you feeling today?”

Of course that was the first question. Harry wondered if Edward had told his family anything or if that was just a normal question, and he debating if lying or telling the truth would be better.

“I’m feeling well enough,” he hedged.

“Well-enough?” Carlisle raised a questioning eyebrow and wrote something down quickly on the clipboard.

“I’ve got a slight headache but that’s probably just because of dealing with some unexpectedly stubborn house guests.”

Some of his annoyance must have shown through because Carlisle gave a short laugh and titled his head in consideration. “Who were these unexpected house guests? I’m sure that Edward would be more than willing to assist you next time.”

The amusement was clear in Carlisle’s voice and it was all Harry could do not to flush in embarrassment at the fact that Carlisle had noticed how….protective Edward could be at times. “Oh, I’m sure,” he laughed and shook his head a little. “He seemed to not want anything to do with them though.”

At Carlisles obvious curiosity, Harry quickly amended. “It was Sirius Black and his son, Jacob. Edward seemed to be displeased with the fact that they were at my house but I just told him that I’d shoo them away. I just wasn’t expecting them to give me any trouble over it, I practically had to shove them out my door.”

“Hmm,” Carlisle frowned. Harry half expected him to pursue it further, but the elder vampire just raised the clipboard a little higher and asked him a few more general questions about his health before grabbing a blood pressure cuff.

“I used to be afraid of these,” Harry laughed a little as he held out his arm so Carlisle could wrap the cuff around it.

“Surprisingly, you’re not the first person to tell me that,” Carlisle’s frown faded away again into a smile and he quickly took Harry’s blood pressure before scribbling it down quickly on the clipboard. “I’ll be back in just a moment.”

Harry nodded and watched as he walked out the room, knowing that he was going to grab the needle. While he wasn’t terrified of needles, per say, he also really really didn’t like them and he hoped that this one wasn’t very painful.

Judging by Carlisle’s small smirk when he walked back into the room, Harry could tell that his apprehension was painted clearly on his face. “I’ll be quick,” he promised and Harry swallowed and nodded, trying not to grimace as his left arm, now without the protection from his several layers, was swapped.

True to his word, Carlisle pricked him very quickly, not even giving Harry much time to tense up in preparation for the needle. “All done!”

“Thank you,” Harry accepted the offered bandaid and quickly plastered it over the small hole. “Hopefully I got this in time!”

“If you have any side effects or start feeling sick, make sure you call in,” Carlisle collected is clipboard again and waited for Harry to hop down from the table. “Or, I suppose, you can just call Edward,” he added playfully.

Harry groaned, recognizing the truth in those words, and allowed himself to be lead out of the room back to the front entrance. He was almost at the door to the front office when he heard Carlisle call him name.

“-and Harry, if anyone ever bothers you at your home again, please be sure to call someone. I know that all of us, especially Edward, would be more than willing to assist you.”

Harry nodded and offered the elder male one last smile and opening the door, giving the nurse a quick thanks before leaving though the glass doors and hurrying to his car to escape the outside chill. Carlisle’s words were following his exit and occupying his mind as he fished out his keys and started the engine. Despite the smile and typical friendly tone of the Cullen Patriarch, he could sense the underlying meaning. A small part of him felt gratified at the obvious concern and the knowledge that all of the Cullens, not just Edward, cared. The bigger part of him was stuck on the fact that Carlisle was doubtlessly going to inform Edward of his troubles. 

Harry groaned and banged his head lightly against the steering wheel. Maybe he should have kept that part to himself….

At the very least, his flu shot was over and done with. He would take an awkward conversation over getting the full brunt of this seasons flu, so perhaps the tradeoff was fair. 

The drive home was quiet enough, and as he pulled into the driveway of his house, he noted the presence of the parked police cruiser. He pondered that for a moment as he walked up to the door. He hadn’t thought his dad would be home so early..

“Hell - oh” Harry faltered in his greeting, raising an eyebrow weekly as his father’s haggard appearance came into view. Well, that explained the car then.

James groaned and shifted a bit on the couch. “Sick,” he just stated as Harry came to join the police officer in his sprawled out position on the couch.

“Hmm, well I’m glad I got the flu shot then!”

James sat up a bit at that and furrowed his brow concernedly. “What do you mean you just got the flu shot? You were sick first.”

Harry shrugged and kicked off his shoes so he could curl his legs under his body. “I wasn’t feeling too poorly so I figured I might have caught it in time.”

“I’m not sure thats how that works,” James said in a hesitant voice, but Harry just shrugged again and grabbed the remote to turn on some mindless channel.

An hour later, Harry indeed found out that James was correct. 

“Ow,” he moaned dramatically, chest heaving as he laid on the ground, having abandoned his position on the couch.

“I told you,” James remarked, now having taken over the whole couch.

“I’m going to be sick,” Harry just moaned. If he had thought he felt sick this morning, it was nothing compared to how he currently felt. His stomach was churning, his head hurt, and his body felt as if it was covered in a hundred bruises.

“I can't believe the doctor actually gave you the flu shot. You’re never supposed to get a shot if you’re already feeling the effects. Instead of fighting it off, your immune system just takes another hit.”

Harry winced at that, “Yea, I might have lied a bit about how I was feeling.”

At James raised eyebrows, he quickly tried to defend himself, “I thought it was just like a head cold or something! I didn’t think I was fully into flu territory.”

“Hm,” James hummed and closed his eyes, taking a rest between his episodes of extreme nausea. Deciding to follow his lead, Harry closed his own eyes to try and rest a bit. It was only about 4pm, so the night was still young and he definitely had time for a little nap before he had to wake up, do homework, and remember to call Edward.

By the time 6pm rolled around, however, all of that had gone out the window and Harry was feeling nothing except pain. “I hate this,” he moaned as he grabbed a third blanket and threw it on top of him, wincing as the joints in his hand and arm protested the movement.

Distantly he could hear his phone ringing, but he couldn’t find the energy within him to get up and grab it. 

“You going to get that?” James asked.

“If I move, I am 110% confident that I’m going to puke.”

The phone rang for another half minute before calling silent and both Harry and James let out a sigh of relief as the silence. Five minutes later, the phone rang again.

Harry cursed under his breath and shakily got the his knees, all but crawling his way over the his phone. “Hullo?” he groaned.

“Harry? Are you feeling alright?” Edward asked concernedly.

“Sick, can’t talk,” Harry said shortly, feeling his energy waning. “See you tomorrow?”

“I’ll see you in a few minutes,” Edward said determinedly, and Harry felt a mix of gratitude and dismay at Edward seeing him in such a state. He didn’t have any time to voice him complains before Edward was hanging up the phone.

Rather than crawling back to his resting place, Harry just laid back down on his back and threw his arms over his face, mirroring James position on the couch. “Fuck,” he groaned.

“Yea, fuck,” James groaned back, and then they laid in silence until there was a knock at the door several minutes later.

“Not it,” Harry said quickly, to which James just shook his head weakly. They didn’t have time to argue about who would open the door though, because not a second later Edward and Carlisle were opening the door.

Harry offered them as much of a smile as he could manage, “How’s it going?” he rasped.

Edward just stared silently back at Harry until the human started to feel self-conscious. “Do I really look that bad?” He half wondered, half joked.

“Yes,” Edward said in an almost angry tone before taking a few steps forward so he could be closer to Harry. 

Harry motioned weakly to the blankets gathered in front of the couch. “Could you grab those for me?” He asked, ignoring the last comment. He was surprised when, instead of getting the blankets, Edward just walking up the him and carefully picked him up. “Hey!” Harry protested.

“Shh,” Edward just shushed him and carried him over to the other couch, setting him down gently before turning to gather the blankets so he could tuck Harry in. “You shouldn’t have gotten the flu shot,” he nearly growled.

“That’s what I told him,” James piped up tiredly from the other couch.

“Hindsight is 20/20, I suppose,” Harry said a bit cheekily.

“Well, it appears as if you both caught the strain of flu thats going around town,” Carlisle murmured as he quietly assessed the two humans. “I would suggest you both get plenty of fluids and rest. Try to eat something and make sure you’re consuming enough electrolytes. That’s one of the biggest dangers with the flu.”

“You got it, doc,” Harry gave the pale doctor a smile that looked more like a grimace. “So, is this like a 24 hour thing or….”

“It could be,” Carlisle said thoughtfully, “Depending on your immune system and how well you take care of yourself. Though, I’ve also not had a patient yet that’s also received the flu shot,” he continued wryly.

At Edward’s stern glare, Harry offered up an impish smile. “Yea, that’s fair.”

“I’ll stay here,” Edward said definitively. “Is there anything you need right now?” 

Harry looked over to James only to see his dad more or less asleep. “I think I’m good right now, but I might ask you to get some medicine from the kitchen in a few.”

“I’d recommend against any decongestants,” Carlisle mentioned from the door. “They’ll dehydrate your sinuses. Any flu medicine should work well. And again, make sure he’s drinking enough fluids,” he directed his last comment to Edward who nodded seriously. 

Carlisle send Harry one last kind smile and politely excused himself, leaving Harry alone and defenseless against Edward’s mother-hen tendencies.

“I’m going to make you some broth,” the vampire said firmly, and before Harry could protest, he was already in the kitchen.  
Three minutes later he was back in the living room with a mug full of liquid. Edward set it carefully on the coffee table then moved to help Harry sit up before handing him the mug. “Thanks,” Harry said as he shakily grabbed the mug and took a small sip of it, waiting to see if his stomach would actually accept it. Thankfully it did, and Harry continued taking occasional sips of it while Edward watched on with an intense gaze.

The soup was only the beginning of it. After an hour of Edward doting on Harry, constantly asking how he was doing, and fluttering around him like a concerned mother, Harry had about had enough. He reach out out with his leg and poked Edward in the thigh, grinning when Edward whipped around to face him with an expectant gaze.

“You are ridiculous,” he said with as much affection as he could while still feeling incredibly sick.

Edward titled his head in slight confusion.

“I know you can’t really get sick, but the flu happens all the time. Despite looking horrible, I really am fine.”

“You are not fine,” Edward frowned.

“I am fine,” Harry argued stubbornly.

Edward growled under his breath but didn’t argue further, knowing that Harry could argue with the best even while sick. “Regardless, I’m not leaving you or your father in such a state.”

Harry gave an over exaggerated sigh and motioned the vampire closer until he was within reach at which point he wrapped his ankle around Edward’s and pulled him forward. Or rather, he tried to and Edward remained firmly in place. “I won’t break,” Harry frowned, and Edward reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled closer and pushed down so he was next to Harry on the couch.

“You’re going to get cold,” he argued.

Harry just wrapped the blankets tighter around himself and snuggled into Edward’s side. “Shhh,” he hushed and closed his eyes, smiling when he could feel Edward start to fix his blankets so he was more covered.

Edward hummed as Harry curled more tightly into him, brushing a hand through the black hair in repetitive motions until he could feel the breathing start to level out.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! I had wanted to get this out a few days ago as a Christmas surprise, but unfortunately I had a bit of difficulty writing this chapter. To be honest, I'm not too happy with some of the wording, but I am excited that we're starting to progress a bit more into to story line!
> 
> If you have any ideas of things to add or corrections I need to make, please tell me :) I'm always excited to see comments with suggestions!

Chapter 20

Edward ended up staying a few more hours with them, and while Harry was grateful for the vampire’s help, he was also relieved to see the Volvo pull out of his driveway. Edward could be exhaustingly overprotective. 

James was still asleep the other couch, but Harry had regretfully woken from his nap to find himself not at all tired any more. Which left him feeling sick and miserable with nothing to do but lay on the couch in silence and think over his last two days, and what an interesting time those two days had been. Despite all that happened though, Harry was honestly somewhat appreciative that everything had happened the way it did. Except getting the flu…that did suck. And while he had been so nervous to tell Edward his secret, it did feel great to have no more big secrets to hide from him. The rest of his family has reacted better than he’s thought too, minus the destroyed living room and visible emotions, and if he were lucky, that would also be the last time that part of his life was brought up again.

Harry spared a glance at the time shown on the bottom corner of the TV screen before groaning and reluctantly rising from the couch. It was just after 11pm which meant meant that he was in for a long night of restless wakefulness. At the very least he could waste some time by cleaning up, he though, so he wearily began gathering the mugs of now cold soup and the various empty water bottles around the room, trudging his way into the kitchen and dropping them off in their proper places, trying to avoid looking at any food items in fear of the sight making him more nauseous. He made his way back to the living room and snagged a blanket off the floor and the TV controller from the side table, then settled back down on the couch and found some old drama that would hopefully bore him to sleep so he could wake up alone, well-rested, and sickness-free.

As it turned out, when he woke to the early morning light the next day he was not only still somewhat tired, but he was also about as far from being alone as one could be. Not only was Edward lurking, but so was Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, Carlisle and Esme. 

Harry made a soft sound into the blanket that was balled up underneath his head in some sort of pillow formation before sleepily rolling over and looking up in confusion at the crowd that was gathered in his house.

“Good morning!” Alice chirped happily as Harry stared dumbly at her in silence. 

“…morning,” Harry finally rasped before gingerly rising from the couch and taking note of the lingering aches and pains in his body curtesy of the flu. 

“We just figured we’d all come and check on you. This strain of flu is proving to be particularly harmful to the population and I’ve already had several emergency cases called into the hospital today,” Carlisle followed up, both he and Esme coming into view with a smiles that were tinged with parental concern. 

“How are you feeling, dear?” Esme worried.

Harry gave her a smile in return and answered honestly that he felt relatively good this morning. He peered around the corner in the kitchen and saw that James was also up and nursing a cup of coffee. Judging by the bags under the police officers eyes, it was sorely needed. 

“I also just woke up,” James offered with a small grin, obviously finding amusement at the entire Cullen Clan showing up in his house.

Harry titled his head in confusion at that statement. If James had just woken up, then who let the Cullens in?

Apparently able to sense his thoughts, Edward stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Harry. “We let ourselves in, which means that you need to be more careful with locking you doors at night,” he scolded.

Harry gave a sheepish nod and relaxed into the hold, “I suppose you have a point there, partner,” he said before turning his attention to his father. “Are you going into work today?”

James groaned and took another long sip of his coffee, grimacing at the taste yet downing it all the same. “Unfortunately.”

Harry’s frown was mirrored by the rest of the Cullens, especially Carlisle. “If you begin to feel lightheaded or any more sick I must urge you to come in the the hospital or at least take a day of rest,” Carlisle insisted in what Harry had now labeled his doctor voice.

“I would love to take a day off,” James just smiled ruefully, “Unfortunately town bylaws state that there must by three armed deputies on shift at all time, and I don’t really have many deputies to spare.”

“I thought you just hired a new deputy on,” Jasper spoke up, plain curiosity in his tone. Upon seeing Harry and James questioning gaze, he quickly clarified. “The local newspaper reported that there was a transfer from another department into our local sheriff’s office, I had assumed he would be working under you.”

“Ahh, yes. I did recently receive a transfer and ideally he’d work under me as another deputy…but there’s something about him that I’m not too sure about yet. Purely speculation, of course, but I’d like to wait a little longer before I set him up as an official deputy with access to weapons and information,” James said hesitantly, not wanting to speak badly of the new transfer but also not feeling comfortable around him. Harry understood where his father was coming from. He’d heard a bit about this new officer and everything about him seemed like a red flag so far. 

“Anyways,” James continued, downing his last sip off coffee before heading to the door where he kept his gear hanging up, “Even if I counted him, the town is short staffed enough even without a recent murder spree. I’ll be sure to spread word to the rest of my team to do their best to avoid the flu though.”

Harry took a travel mug from the cabinet above the coffee pot and poured in another cup of steaming coffee, walking over to hand it to his dad with goodbye and a promise to buy groceries and milk for the coffee while he was working.

“Thanks,” James nodded to the rest of the Cullens then headed out the door, after which everyone in the house watched the police cruiser pull out and drive down the road. 

“So this new deputy?” Jasper asked once the silence had settled.

“Hm?” Harry redirected his attention to the usually quiet member of the family, curious as to why he was pressing this issue too much. “I haven’t heard much about him, but that seems to be a pretty common thread when he comes into question,” Harry finally answered, walking into the kitchen to grab himself a cub of coffee.

“What do you mean?” It was Alice pressing this time, and unlike her normal happy expression, hers was now mirroring the frown on Jaspers face.

Harry looked around the rest of the Cullen’s in confusion, wondering why this was so important. When he got to Edward, the boy just tilted his head questioningly and encouraged him to speak with a soft head nod. “Well supposedly he came highly recommended, but my dad mentioned that a lot of his credentials weren’t exactly traceable. He tried to contact some of his prior references as well, but they basically just looped around suggesting the previous references. Apparently he was also pretty aggressive with showing his interest for field work. I mean, everyone wants to start working the field, but James mentioned that he was particularly pushy in that regard, and kept bringing up the recent murders. Individually, none of those are big issues. Combined though…it makes sense why James doesn’t really want to arm him with a gun and full rights as a sheriff’s deputy.”

Harry leaned back and sipped slowly at his coffee, not missing the concerned places that they all shared. “What’s your take on that?”

Edward stepped forward and caged Harry against the counter and pressed a kiss to his forehead, uncaring of the audience he had. “No take yet,” he murmured. “Though it is curious.”

Harry wasn’t quiet sure if he believed that, especially not when he caught Jasper frowning in Edward’s direction also. Instead of trying to argue, however, he just hummed softly and leaned into Edward for a brief second before stepping aside and out of the embrace, grinning when Edward playfully tried to capture him again.

“How sick are you still feeling?” Edward asked as Harry danced away from him and leaned against the counter again, this time out of reach. 

“A little,” the raven-haired boy admitted. “It seems like I missed the really bad strain though,” he noted looking up for affirmation from Carlisle, who looked at if he were seriously considering that statement.

“I would hope, but I wouldn’t do anything too strenuous still for a few days. Best to give your body some time to recover,” He said eventually, not quite willing to assure Harry a full bill of health, but hoping all the same that Harry was correct with his assumption.

“No worries about that,” Edward said easily. “We’ll just stay inside today.”

“We’ll?” Harry arched up an eyebrow and grinned amusedly up at the man. “Well that’s mighty presumptuous of you.”

Emmett laughed at that and even Rosalie broke into a grin which was a new sight to Harry.

Alice clucked her tongue at both Harry and Edward before giving a loud sigh, “Fine, you get Harry today but I get him next weekend,” She stated before grabbing Jasper’s hand and tugging him to the door, ignoring Edward’s noise of protest. Her leaving seemed to be a signal for the rest of the Cullens who also said their goodbyes before following them out the door.

Harry watched and waited for the car to pull out and travel for a distance before turning to Edward with a confused expression. “I did not expect that from Rosalie,” he said in a surprised, albeit happy, tone. Indeed, at most he expected a nod. Instead Rosalie had given him a full smile and a personal goodbye and wish for good health.

Edward stepped up behind Harry and wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, leaning in to kiss his neck briefly. He wasn’t quite sure what to say to Harry in response to that, not sure it it would be better or worse to tell the human that he and Rosalie had a common chapter in their past, and that was what had bonded them. Ultimately, it wasn’t his story to tell either way, and so he just hummed noncommittally and hoped Harry wouldn’t press.

“Either way I’m thankful for it,” Harry shrugged as he turned around in the embrace so he was facing Edward. Feeling a sudden surge of affection for the vampire, Harry leaned forward and kissed him strongly before pulling away once more, setting his coffee down, and flopping down on the carpet where a ray of sun was shining down.

Edward watched with amusement as Harry stretched out in the sun patch like a cat. He wouldn’t have even been surprised in that moment had the human let out a purr. Instead, Harry rolled over to face Edward and propped himself up on an elbow. 

“Enjoy me as much as you want today, because tomorrow I’m all Neville’s.”

“Oh?” Edward arched an eyebrow. “Should I be jealous?”

Harry laughed and shook his head. “I promised Neville that we would study for history together. He’s a sweet friend, and I feel bad for all but ignoring him lately.”

“You could ignore him more and study with my instead,” Edward smirked. “I think you’ll find I have a fairly extensive knowledge of the subject of history.”

“I’m sure you do, old man,” Harry grinned. He was turning his head to look out the window when he saw a glint in the corner of his eyes. Confused, he quickly turned around again to face Edward and the kitchen, surveying the area with furrowed eyebrows to try and spot the shining thing that had caught his eye.

“Problem, partner?” Edward asked.

“Not a problem, just thought I saw something,” Harry pursed his lips then just shook his head. Maybe the fever really had gotten to his brain and he was starting to hallucinate sparkling flash lights in the corner of his eyes.

Instead of dropping it though, Edward seemed to find something funny about the situation, judging from the chuckling he could hear behind him.

“What?” Harry said suspiciously.

“Close your eyes,” Edward just instructed, and after a second of deliberating, Harry obeyed the instructions. Two seconds later and he could feel a familiar icy hand stroking his cheeks before pulling away as he was instructed to open them again.

“Oh,” Harry breathed out. “Yea, that would definitely explain what I saw then.”

Across from him Edward was standing shirtless in a ray of sunlight. That wasn’t what caught his attention though. No, it was the glistening quality of his skin that made him take a double take. As if he were covered in diamonds…

Harry stared silently at him for several long seconds, eyes only breaking his gaze when Edward broke his concentration by asking, “what do you think?” In an tone that was bordering anxious.

“Of you shirtless or the fact that you sparkle?” Harry asked cheekily.

“Glisten,” Edward corrected with a scowl, though if he were human he definitely would have blushed at Harry’s question. Emmett would have field day if he’d heard the word sparkle, despite the fact the sun had the same effect on him.

“I think it’s beautiful,” Harry admitted with a smile as he cocked his head. “Let me touch?”

At that, Edward did groan, unable to stop his reaction at those teasing words. Harry knew what he was doing too, judging by the slight smirk on the pink lips. “But who would I be to deny you?” He said as he sat down next to the human and crossed his legs together.

Fascinated, Harry gently reached forward to touch the skin, finding that it felt no different than any other time. After a few seconds of self-exploration, he turned his curious gaze up to Edward. 

“The sun creates this effects for all Vampires. While we aren’t allergic to the sun as legends state, its true that we do tend to avoid it’s direct rays for fear of being revealed as some different creature in public,” Edward explained quietly, carefully trailing Harry’s hand as it continued to trace patterns around his upper body.

“And here I thought you couldn’t get anymore beautiful,” Harry murmured before grinning and catching Edward’s lips in a kiss, squealing with laughter when the vampire simply picked him up and placed him on his lap so Edward could continue with his kiss.

“I believe that’s my line,” Edward laughed when he finally pulled away, giving Harry the chance to catch his breath.

Harry gave himself a few more seconds to wind down before standing up slowly and stretching out again, feeling his joints pot satisfyingly. “I think I’m going to go shower and get ready for the rest of the day.”

“I’ll be down here,” Edward approved.

Harry smiled fondly back at him. “You can come upstairs, you know,” he teased before turning around and walking towards the staircase, feeling more than hearing the footsteps that followed his path after a few milliseconds of hesitation. 

Harry walked into his room, grabbed a towel, and made his way to the shared second floor bathroom, pausing only to close the bathroom door most of the way before stripping off his clothes and turning on the shower. Deciding to kill two birds with one stone, he also readied his toothbrush and began to brush his teeth as he waited for the shower to warm up, occasionally dipping his toes into the water until he was satisfied it was at the right temperature.

Not wanting to keep Edward waiting, and possibly snooping, for too long, Harry took a relatively quick shower. It was only when he had turned off the water and was drying himself that he realized his new dilemma. Edward might have briefly seen him without a shirt on one previous occasion, but that was before he had spilled his secret, and while his scars wouldn’t stand out normally, he knew Edward would probably notice them immediately. Harry groaned silently as he observed himself in the mirror, contorting his body in all sorts of different ways below releasing that there was no way he’d be able to hide the biggest three scars he had. 

For a few seconds he debating asking Edward to hand him clothes through the door, but Edward would be curious then too, so reluctantly he just gathered his towel tighter around his body and walked bravely into his room. 

He quickly forgot his worries when he saw Edward reclining casually on his bed with the old mythical book in hand, flipping through the pages with a raised eyebrow. “Find anything interesting?” Harry chuckled as he walked over the his dresser and began rummaging around for some clothing to change into.

“In the book or in this room?” Edward questioned, closing the book loudly and leaning forward on the bed with a downright licentious grin.

“The book,” Harry said sternly.

“Ah, in that case, nothing too much,” He said easily. He rose smoothly from the bed and put the book on the nearby table before stalking forward, easily cornering Harry who let out a small unintentional noise at the quick advancement. 

Such cute noises come from his little human, Edward thought, especially when they were cornered wearing only a towel. “Oh, you were trying to get dressed. My apologies,” he smirked as Harry’s pupils dilated even as he glared at him. Adorable. 

“I suppose I better let you continue then,” he sighed regretfully and stepped away, all with a smirk still.

“I suppose you should,” Harry turned back to the dresser and took out the last of what he needed. He quickly glanced behind him to see that Edward was involved with reading the list of books on his bedside table, and while the vampire was distracted, he pulled his underclothing and pants while he held the towel up. He had almost managed to get his shirt straightened out and on too when he felt the cold presence behind him.

He was going to ask Edward what he needed, but as soon as he felt the fingertips tracing the half-moon on his shoulder, he knew what had caught his attention. 

“It’s nothing,” he tried to shrug off the concern as he twisted to face the vampire instead, smiling sadly at the look on Edward’s face. 

“What caused it?” He already knew who had caused it and that thought as enough to have venom pooling in his mouth. He gently reached out again to thumb the torn corner of the scar, grateful that Harry didn’t pull away this time. He followed to the movement with his eyes, trailing down Harry’s unclothed back, unable to hold back the angry growl where he saw the tail end of another scar the surely wrapped around his front. 

At the featherlike touch to his side, Harry could hold back the laughter that bubbled up at the ticklish feeling as he flinched away. 

“Let me see,” Edward asked pleadingly, though a smile was threatening to take over his expression at the sound of the bright laughter.

“Okay, okay,” Harry calmed his breathing down form his laughter and obligingly turned to face Edward for the second time so the older male could look at the thin silver line that was drawn across his side. Before he could say anything though, Harry brought his hands up redirected Edward’s eyes to his. “I promise it’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing,” Edward growled lowly but allowed Harry to manipulate his gaze away from the obvious scar. “I’ll kill him…”

“No you won’t,” Harry just scolded as he turned around and pulled the shirt he had set aside earlier. Honestly, while his scars looked big, they weren’t even that painful while healing, or really even when had had gotten them. One was the result of a too-hard push during a camping trip, and the other one was also somewhat unintentionally caused. 

Edward stood there in stony silence as Harry finished getting dressed, only reacting again when Harry turned around and offered him a sunny smile. “Are you ready to go grocery shopping?” He asked cheerfully.

“Grocery shopping?” Edward echoed doubtfully, finally tearing his eyes away from the now-covered old injury. “You shouldn’t be shopping at all, you should be resting.”

“Oh hush, you,” Harry shook his head and reached out a hand that Edward gladly accepted. “James and I need groceries anyways. If he can suffer through work while sick, I can suffer through the supermarket.”

“I’m sure Esme would go shopping in your stead,” Edward argued but obligingly allowed Harry to lead him downstairs. He supposed he could have just stood still and Harry wouldn’t have a chance in the world for making him budge with his human strength, but then he just figured that Harry would gladly go without him.

Harry laughed to himself when he saw how displeased Edward still was about him leaving. Sure, he might still be feeling a tad bit sick, but he also knew that he did not want to eat spaghetti for the third night in a row because they had no food. “You can push the cart,” he offered amusedly as he lead Edward to the living room so he could go and quickly fetch the jar of cash James kept in the house for occasions like this.

“Can I also drive?” It’s not that Edward hated Harry’s car, not really. He just felt more comfortable driving an actual car over a rust bucket that had apparently been build by a mangy pack of potentially future werewolves. Simple, really.

“I suppose so, but one of these days we’re driving my car.” He didn’t know what Edward had against his car, but after telling him that it had been bough from the Blacks, Edward not only refused to get in it, but actively encouraged Harry to not drive it either. “And I’ll have you know that my car is mechanically just as functioning as yours.”

In response to that, Edward muttered something so quiet that Harry couldn’t quite make it out, though he could’ve sworn he heard something along the lines of Rosalie and mechanics. Hmmm…

It was mid produce aside that Harry actually pieced it all together. He dropped the thing of lettuce in the basket and expectantly turned to face Edward who had been trailing him throughout the store. “Your sister is a mechanic?”

“…Yes?” Edward agreed, confused by the random topic. “At least on the side. We’ve all picked up multiple trades through the years, and Rosalie loves working on cars.”

“That makes a lot more sense,” Harry hummed and continued to push his basket around. “I was wondering why she was fixing your car a few weeks ago. Do you not know much about mechanics?”

His question was innocent enough, but Edward still frowned at the insult to his masculinity. “I know enough,” He said stubbornly. “Rosalie enjoys it though, so I let her fix up my car whenever it needs maintenance.”

“Okay,” Harry smirked, immediately able to sense that he had ruffled a few feathers with that question. He grabbed the last few things on his mental list to put in the basket then started heading to the checkout. "Answer me a hypothetical question though…so say my car breaks down in the middle of a deserted road at midnight. Who do I call, you or Rosalie?”

“You don’t have to call anyone, because you have a new and better car and ditched the dangerous one you currently have.”

“Cute,” Harry said dryly.

Edward smiled at that and helped Harry load the groceries onto the checkout counter before putting the cart back in the front, rejoining Harry just in time to grab all of the bags in his hands while Harry finished paying. 

“Thank you,” Harry shook his head and smiled as he saw Edward’s full hands but didn’t try to argue, knowing it would be futile. Instead he just fished the car keys out of Edward’s jacket pocket and unlocked the car so he could put all of the groceries inside.

Harry expected his driveway to be empty except his truck when the drove up to his house. Instead, however, he was met with the sight of an all-too-familiar old car. Judging from the deep rumbling from the drivers seat next to him, he could tell Edward was just as displeased as him. 

“I really don’t want to deal with them today,” Harry sighed.

“I could take care of them if you’d like. Carlisle mentioned the trouble you had last time…”

“No,” Harry pouted. “I’ll just go in and drop the groceries off real quick before coming back out. It’s not worth it to try and get them to leave.”

“Alright, love,” Edward kissed Harry’s pout and unlocked the doors so Harry could gather his groceries up to take them inside. He then settled back in his seat and waited impatiently for Harry to come back out. If it took longer than ten minutes he was going to go inside to fetch him. Good tribe relations or not, he wouldn’t allow anyone to harass his mate, especially not those who had claws and the ability to grow ridiculously mangy fur. He grew steadily more tense as the time allotment ticked down, but after a few more seconds he saw Harry open up the door and exit, quickly shutting it behind him.

When he climbed into Edward’s car, all he let out was an extended groan. “I am so thankful for their support and friendship, but they really, really, really need to stop inviting themselves over unexpectedly,” Harry grumbled.

“Is James inviting them over, or are they just showing up?” Edward bristled.

Harry buckled himself in and relaxed the tension from his shoulders as Edward pulled out. “A little of both. My dad mentioned that he was worried about working long hours into the night with the house unattended, and they’ve taken it upon themselves to stop by. I wouldn’t mind short visits, but Sirius Black can be a bit much sometimes. Last time he asked me about you,” Harry had forgotten to tell Edward about that fact. “That was the day I was feeling sick though, so I just told them I wasn’t up for talking and asked them to leave.”

Edward would have to mention that to Carlisle. He wasn’t sure what Sirius was trying to achieve, but if he found out it was an attempt to intimidate or instill fear…

“I like Jacob though,” Harry continued thoughtfully, unaware of Edward’s violent thoughts. “He’s sweet, and at least seems to have more social cues instilled than his father. Last time he even helped me try to shuffle Sirius out of the house when he was trying to stall.”

Edward supposed he could make an allowance then for the younger tribe member. “Still, tell me next time you have trouble. Or at the very least, tell James. I’m sure your father doesn’t want you to be uncomfortable or on edge every time you return home.”

Harry hummed in agreement as they pulled into the Cullen’s driveway.

“Everyone except Carlisle is home right now,” Edward offered as he parked his car and opened both his and Harry’s door.

Harry followed Edward’s lead up the front steps and into the foyer, grimacing as he recalled the last time he was standing in this room. He was just about to ask Edward what the plan was when Alice came bounding into the room with a bright smile. 

“Harry!” She said cheerfully.”How did I know you’d be coming?” She winked playfully and Harry snickered. When Edward had revealed that Alice had the power of foresight just like he had the ability to read minds he had been amazed, but his favorite part was how often the tiny vampire joked about her abilities.

“Mine,” Edward groused as Alice came closer and grabbed Harry’s wrist to pull him upstairs.

“You’ve had him all day!” Alice taunted, relentlessly tugging Harry up the steps despite his efforts to stay with Edward. While he loved the girl, he was also somewhat afraid of what waited him upstairs.

“Be careful with him at least, he’s just getting over his sickness,” Edward stressed, following them upstairs once he realized that Alice wasn’t going stop. “And don’t stress him out, it’s not good for his immune system.”

Alice just laughed at that and dragged Harry into her room where immediately Harry noted with no small bit of nervousness that Rosalie was already sitting on the bed.

“Hello,” he said a bit nervously, but Rosalie just offered him another unexpected smile.

Alice lead him over to the bed and pushed him gently so he was sitting down on the bed before sitting on the other side of him, effectively cornering him between them. Alice took a few seconds to examine him with careful eyes before rolling her eyes fondly and shaking her head. “Edward can be a bit overprotective, just ignore it,” She advised.

Harry smiled wryly at that. “Tell me about it, I thought he was going to drop in shock when I told him that I still had to go grocery shopping, sick or not. You would think he thought it was some terrible disease, not just the flu,” he murmured fondly as he shot a smile in the direction of the wall the he knew led to Edward’s bedroom. He was positive Edward was listening right now, both to their conversation and Alive and Rosalie’s thoughts.

At hearing that though, both Alice and Rosalie exchanged quick looks. “Did he not tell you the circumstances behind his change?” Alice asked in surprise.

“…No?” 

“He was dying of the Spanish Influenza,” Rosalie supplemented. “His mother had passed away and Carlisle was their doctor. She begged him to save her son, and so Carlisle changed him into a vampire in order to save his life.”

Well now Harry felt like kind of a dick. “I had no idea,” he murmured thoughtfully as he thought over the previous nights events. Edward’s concern made a lot more sense now, especially his insistence that Carlisle come to check on them twice in the span of 24 hours. 

“Still though, you’d have thought we were taking you upstairs to suck you dry by the way he reacted,” Alice rolled her eyes then laid down on her back.

“Alice!” Rosalie scolded but Harry just snickered at her statement, not minding one bit, though he was curious as to why Alice had dragged him upstairs.

He got his answer a few seconds later though when Alice sat back up and looked meaningfully at Rosalie so quickly that Harry barely caught it. “Well I’m going to go talk to Edward about something real quick, you stay here,” she said casually, and before Harry could even open his mouth, she was already out the door.

“Oh,” he just said in the following silence.

Rosalie hesitated too in the quiet of the room, before rising fro the bed and walking to the window to watch the rapidly setting sun. “I don’t hate you, you know,” she said softly. “I just didn’t want Edward to be hurt. You have to understand that pursuing a human was reckless at best and…”

“I understand,” Harry comforted, but Rosalie just shook her head.

“You shouldn’t have to. I’m sorry, I was selfish and rude to you when I had no reason - ”

“ - I wouldn’t call caring for your brother selfish.”

“You still didn’t deserve my ire, and I never wanted to make you afraid of me. I would never hurt you,” She promised, then after a brief second of hesitation, turned to face him again. “You don’t ever deserve to be hurt,” and suddenly Harry knew they were no longer talking about the present.

Harry nervously swallowed and tried to avoid Rosalie’s piercing gaze. “I - appreciate that,” Harry finally settled on, having no idea how to respond to both Rosalie’s apology and last statement.

“Did Edward every tell you why I was changed?”

“No, he said it wasn’t his story to tell,” Harry acknowledged.

“I suppose you and I have a few similarities, Harry,” Rosalie hummed. “I wasn’t changed in the most favorable circumstances, none of us really were. The details aren’t really important,” she waved that off and stood up to sit back down next to Harry, taking his hand in-between her two icy perfectly manicured nails. “What’s important is that I’m sorry for treating you the way I did.”

Harry smiled at her for that, knowing that Rosalie didn’t have to apologize but wanted to. “I understand, and I’m sorry for putting you in that uncomfortable position.”

Rosalie stood up from the bed, this time bypassing the window and instead walking towards the door. Before she turned the handle though, she turned and gave him one last smile. “And Harry, if you ever need to talk about anything related to your past in London…I think you’ll find I might be able to offer some companionship.”

___

While Rosalie and Harry were talking, Alice was skipping over to Edward’s room where, as she had expected, Edward was sitting on his bed and listening into the conversations around him.

“Eavesdrop much?” 

“I wouldn’t have to eavesdrop if you would let me have my mate,” Edward complained even as he scooted over so Alice could come join him on the couch. “What do you need? Why have you been blocking your mind from me?”

“I’ve been seeing some…concerning visions,” Alice began, “I wanted to try and get a better sense of them before letting you see.”

“So, let me see,” Edward demanded, annoyed with Alice’s resistance to show him. 

Alice sighed and brought the visions to the forefront of her mind so Edward could replay through her memories. As expected, as soon as he was finished rifling through her mind, he was out the door and storming into her room where Harry was still sitting on the bed and reeling from Rosalie’s confession.

“Edward?” Harry asked in confusion, only to let out a muffled sound of confusion when Edward walked up to him and crushed him in a hug that was toeing the line of firm and lung-crushing. “Um…hi?”

Edward breathed in Harrys unique scent and savored the burn of his throat, finding that it was now almost a familiar comfort. “Stay over tonight?” He asked and instead of responding Harry just looked over his shoulder to Alice.

“What did you say to him?” He said in an almost accusatory tone, confused about Edward’s rapid change in behavior.

“You know I have the power of foresight, right? Well I’ve been having a few visions that are just a tad concerning. Nothing too bad,” she rushed to assure after seeing Harry’s expression grow darker with worry. “It’s just…you know how Edward can be.”

Truthfully though, Alice was just as concerned as her brother. What she had been seeing was so unnerving, yet so vague too that she couldn’t get a grasp of the circumstances behind each vision. One of Harry alone in his room, staring out a dark window. Another of him leaving quickly out the back of the police department, taking harried and fearful glances behind him every other second, and another that just showed Harry’s face injured in some manner. It made her sick to watch, and helpless to prevent without any other details.

“Hmm,” Harry said doubtfully, not quite believing Alice. He would get it out of Edward later though, that was if he could breathe. “As much as I appreciate the hug, you’re kinda squishing my human organs,” he eventually wheezed and Edward quickly let go with an apology.

“Lets go to your room, okay?” Harry soothed, noting how Edward immediately reached to grab his hand once he was released from the hug. Maybe Edward would feel more comfortable in his own room…sometimes that territorial trick worked for dogs, so he figured it might also work for overprotective and possessive vampires.

Harry waved goodbye to Alice on his way out of the room, feeling half amused and half concerned about the caveman like way Edward was acting. “Can we please talk about what Alice told you?” He pleaded as Edward pulled them down to sit together on the couch.

“Later,” Edward suggested with a rough voice. 

“M’kay,” Harry gave in and allowed Edward to rearrange him however he wanted, which was apparently splayed out on the couch with Edward hovering over him. A few kisses later and Harry could definitely see the merits of talking later. 

“I love you.”

“How much?” Harry laughed between kisses, allowing his fingers to trail dangerously low until they were tracing the hem of Edward’s shirt. Above him, Edward growled deeply at that and readjusted them so he was supporting his weight with one arm, the other reaching down to capture Harry’s exploring fingers.  
“Little minx,” Edward scolded even as his body traitorously betrayed him. And while the offer was tempting, he didn’t trust his self control tonight to engage in any of that behavior, not with his instincts already so on edge and ready to claim and protect. He did indulge in a few more kisses though before reluctantly flipping them over so Harry was instead resting on top of him. 

“Show off,” Harry pouted at the clear show of strength and dropped his head to rest on Edward’s chest, though he couldn’t find it in him to really complain when he was so comfortable. In response, Edward began to stroke his back in such a soothing pattern that Harry could feel himself begin to nod off. Part of him tried to scold his brain into waking back up, but the other part told him that he deserved this after two nights of restless sickness-filled sleep.

Edward watched the small human drift off on top of him with thinly veiled adoration that overshadowed even his previous fear. Alice’s visions concerned him deeply, especially when one took in the recent town’s happenings. He hadn’t been joking when he’d asked Harry to stay the night, but even if he didn’t, Edward would simply follow him home and keep watch there. If Alice’s visions continued, Harry would never be left unwatched or unguarded.

He sat there watching Harry and thinking about the recent events for awhile longer, until he noticed the sky shifting from sunset to total darkness and he heard his name spoken by Esme who was standing at his door.

“Shhh, he’s asleep,” Edward warned in a tone only audible to the vampire standing at the door.

“You have to take him home, Edward,” Alice laughed, both her and Emmett coming up behind their adopted mother. “James will wonder and Harry will be angry if you let him continue to sleep.”

“Besides, we all know that all you do at night is stalk him in his bedroom too, so…” Emmett agreed in a normal speaking tone, grinning when Edward hissed at him before ultimately growling something distasteful so low that not even vampires could discern it.

Ultimately though he could see the wisdom in their words, though it pained him all the same to see Harry’s peaceful sleep interrupted just so he could take him home. 

“Did I fall asleep?” Harry asked groggily after being awoken by the feeling of cold fingers gently caressing him. He sat up a bit more and rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes so he could see Edward a bit more clearly, smiling sleepily at the vampire when he noticed his deep stare.

“You did,” Edward agreed, “and I would’ve kept you here too were it my choice. Unfortunately I was reminded that you do had a father involved in law enforcement, therefore it would be in my best interest to return you home.”

Harry cringed at the thought of the panicked phone calls that would surely occur if James couldn’t find him. “Good choice.”

“Mmm,” Edward agreed, “doesn’t mean I’m leaving you alone tonight though. Is it too brazen to expect you let me in through your window?”

“Not at all.”

“Good,” Edward leaned down and abruptly picked Harry up off the couch and carried him over to the window. “And what are your feelings on running instead of driving?”

“Umm…”

Harry didn’t get to finish his answer before Edward was jumping out of his window to land on the soft grass surrounding his house and taking off in the direction of his house.

“I think you do that just to show off,” Harry said sullenly when they reached his house and Edward picked him off his back and set him down on the front doorstep.

“Possibly” Edward grinned before leaning forward to press a chaste kiss to his forehead.  
“I’ll see you upstairs,” he promised.

James must have been home then, if Edward didn’t want to come in through the front. And sure enough, the police officer was laying on the couch when he came in through the door, feet propped up on the table and clearly asleep. He debated waking his father up, but ultimately decided against it in case the man was just taking a short nap as he had just minutes before.

Instead he made a beeline for the upstairs bathroom, where he brushed his teeth quickly and washed his face to prepare for bed before moving on to his room.

“I see you’ve made yourself comfortable.”

“All ready for you,” Edward grinned from his reclining position on the bed. The sheets were already pulled back and Edward had set up his pillows so that they were right next to him.

Harry rolled his eyes but quickly shucked off his shirt and pulled on his pajamas, grinning when he noticed Edward’s intense stare. When he turned around though, that stare turned into a judgmentally stern expression. “That shirt…”

“What!” Harry defended, looking down quickly even though he already knew what his shirt said. He wore it almost every night after all. Besides, he was against domestic abuse! “If you want it off you’re going to have to take it off yourself. I quite like this shirt.”

Edward didn’t take his bait, though he did break his stern facade at the last comment. “Come to bed…”

“M’kay, m’kay,” Harry agreed as he climbed into bed and immediately cuddled up to Edward, finding that the chill didn’t bother him much once Edward covered his body with his comforter. 

“Night,” he yawned.

“Goodnight, love.”

“…will you get the lights?”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get up! I've been having a lot of writers block and feel like everything I write is awkward or terrible. If you feel like this chapter sounds a little odd, please let me know in the comments so I can try to fix it more! Hope you enjoy :)

Chapter 21:

“What? Next time Harry falls asleep here you can keep him!” Alice argued, hands on her hips as she pouted up at Edward.

“If you’d remember, Harry happens to have a father who’s a cop. I don’t believe he’d be happy with his underaged son staying at his boyfriends house overnight,” Edward pointed out dryly. Despite his argument though, he couldn’t argue that the idea of Harry staying over appealed to him deeply. 

“Alright, fine,” Alice sighed. “We won’t get a bed yet. But don’t think this discussion is over, Edward Cullen. I know that you secretly want it and are just trying to fool yourself.”

Edward growled lowly at that, but didn’t try to argue. If he were being honest, the only thing stopping him from running to the store right now and buying a bed was the knowledge that he’d want Harry to sleep over every night, and surely James wouldn’t be pleased at that. Though perhaps he would be able to convince James by bringing up the recent murders. Surely the police chief would be more comfortable with Harry sleeping around others rather than alone in an unprotected house…

He heard tinkling laugher to his left and immediately turned to glare at Alice and Esme, who were both smiling widely at him and singing the alphabet in their minds to keep him out of their thoughts. 

“What?” He grumbled sullenly.

“Just wondering what you’re so deep in thought about, sweetie,” Esme said in a motherly voice. “Now when are we going to see Harry again? It’s been a whole day.”

“He’s been studying today with Neville,” Edward sighed. “I tried to convince him to stay with me, but he couldn’t be swayed.”

“Ah, Neville’s a sweet boy though,” Esme commented.

Edward just hummed noncommittally in response. “I’m going to go hunting,” he offered, knowing that both had recently fed anyways. As expected, they both just waved him out the door.

As soon as he had left and was out of earshot, Esme and Alice turned to talk once again about their plans. Even Rosalie joined in after a few minutes of hearing their discussion, and so they set off to accomplish as much as they could in the time they had.

______

As Edward was off hunting for various wildlife, Harry was driving home from his study session with Neville. He hadn’t really needed to study for the history test, he had spent a few hours when he was sick studying, but he had wanted to hang out with his friend even if it meant spending some time away from Edward. That boy had been occupying nearly every thought of his and the intensity would be concerning if other factors hadn’t been into play.

For example, Edward’s overprotective nature, Harry thought wryly as he looked down at his phone to see Edward’s caller ID flashing on the screen.

“Why, hello,” he answered happily, grinning when Edward answered with his own affectionate greeting before warning him that he wouldn’t see him until tomorrow because he was going a bit further to hunt. Apparently there was a shortage of mountain lions in the nearby area, and while Harry was bummed to hear about Edward being gone, he couldn’t pretend to be upset about the lack of big cats prowling around in his backyard. 

Now he had to figure out something to do with the rest of his night though…

Harry thought hard for a few seconds before deciding that he would visit his dad and bring him some lunch, knowing that if he didn’t, his father would either skip lunch entirely or eat something quick and not at all nutritious. He could easily recall that one time he’d stopped by a week or two ago and found candy wrappers around James’ desk, and honestly, who could even eat that many KitKats in a row?!

His dad could, apparently. It was always his dad, he thought with a sigh, as he quickly prepared a somewhat nutritious sandwich and some snacks to bring to the station. He bagged them up in a brown bag and carefully set it in his passengers seat before making his way over.

“Carebear!” James said, delighted when Harry came into view carrying the bag. “Is that food?”

“It is food, something which I’m sure you haven’t seen in ages,” Harry laughed.

Unable to refute it, James simply took the bag with a thanks and lead them both back to his office where Harry was instantly greeted with a mess.

“Wow.”

“Yea,” James rubbed the back of his head and gave a half laugh. “This case is driving me a bit mad, yea?”

“You could say that,” Harry grimaced as he took in the pin board in the corner that barely even had an inch of corkscrew left, the rest covered in people and clues and pictures Harry really wished he hadn’t seen. That wasn’t even mentioning the mess of files, papers, and old coffee cups covering his desk.

“Do you want me to help you clear up a bit?” He offered hesitantly.

“To be honest, I’m not even sure you can. Except for the coffee, all of this is still being studied. I’ve already gone back several years into the old case files and I’m not even halfway done studying them all. I just can’t find anything that is helping me,” James moaned, frustrated at the lack of progress. 

“Was Doctor Cullen any help?” Harry questioned.

“Not much, though he did agree with our early assessment that there wasn’t one unique hit that stood out as the initial strike. At this point I’m just leaning towards the theory that they all simultaneously got hit by a rockslide while standing upright. And let me tell you, that’s not even the most ridiculous theory that’s been thought up.” James stepped towards his desk to rifle quickly through some papers before finding the one he wanted and pulling it out. “This was the last body, see how all the marks seem to have been make at relatively the same time? The bruising is the same all around the body…”

Harry took a quick look at the picture and immediately blanched. “That’s interesting,” he said, voice taking on an interesting quality as he tore his eyes away from the image.

“Isn’t it? Notice those cracked ribs? And that bruise that looks like a hand formed it. The chances of a handprint being caused by anything other than a hand are just so astronomically low. It has to be a person. I can’t even imagine how much this must have hurt.”

Harry could definitely imagine, and looking at the pictures of the quite familiar injuries just cemented that thought in his mind. He was crazy for thinking it, he knew, but the cracked ribs, bruising, and injuries were so exact, down to the unhealed scratches on the upper thigh and lower waist, that it just couldn’t be a coincidence. Oliver wasn’t here though, and while he knew the man was violent, he also couldn’t imagine him responsible for so many murders.

“You okay?” James asked concernedly, looking up to find that Harry was a little pale. “I suppose I should’ve asked you before showing you a dead body,” he laughed a bit nervously, his concern turning to guilt. “Please don’t tell your mom?”

Harry looked up at that and offered his dad what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, it just amazes me how people can do these things,” he said easily, finding that it was easier to tell a half truth than a lie. “So what’s your gameplay then? Other than just searching through old info to see if anything matches.”

James winced at that, “All I can do is keep looking and hope something is found, sooner rather than later.”

“Yikes.”

“No kidding.”

“Well, will you be home for dinner?” Harry asked after a brief few seconds of silence.

“Definitely not,” James shook his head and rubbed tiredly at his head again, ruffling his already messy hair up more. “I’m honestly not so sure I’ll be home tonight at all. It will depend on how many of these cases I can get through tonight. I’ll give you a call either way though,” he promised.

Harry tried to pretend like being home alone all night wouldn’t bother him, but truthfully he was a bit unnerved, especially after seeing that picture. He briefly thought about calling Jacob but immediately threw that idea out of his head. The Blacks would doubtlessly take that as an invitation to drop by whenever they wanted in the future, and while he could definitely grow to consider Jacob a friend, he was still unsure about Sirius. Besides, Edward probably wouldn’t be the happiest about him having Jacobs number and calling the teen for help instead of him.

On his way home from the station he pulled into the grocery store quickly to pick up more coffee, and it was there that he decided. What better way to make sure no one broke in and murdered him than pulling an all-nighter? Genius, he thought. Make some coffee, put on some enjoyable TV, and try to make his brain forget the haunting image that was still flashing around his brain. 

Sure enough, it was 2 hours later that Harry got the expected call from James telling him he wouldn’t be home, asking if he was fine being home alone, and even offering to call someone to watch the house. Harry dismissed the concern easily enough, even promising that he would have a nice, boring night in doing laundry and other forgotten chores that tended to pile up when you had two busy people living in the same house. 

He hung up the phone and flopped down on the couch, already looking towards the clock hanging on the wall.

“Coffee,” Harry muttered himself, pulling the TV remote next to him. The news had been on when he turned on the TV, but that was quickly shut off in favor of something a bit more heart warming.

The pattern of getting up for a cup of coffee and changing the channel lasted until roughly 2am, at which point Harry found himself simultaneously bored of watching TV but tired enough not to want to do anything else. Though, he supposed if he were already up he might as well get something like homework accomplished.

He was in the middle of pulling his math book out of his backpack when a noise to his left startled him out of his sleepy stupor. He jolted upright and let out an embarrassing yelp of terror as he flew around to face the noise, only to find a frowning Edward standing at the couch.

“Jesus, you need to wear a bell,” Harry accused, heart still pounding exceedingly fast even as he allowed Edward to step closer and wrap him in a hug. 

“What’re you doing here?” Harry asked once his heart rate had calmed down enough for him to speak without being breathless.

“Alice told me you were awake and worried,” Edward murmured, allowing Harry to step away only so he could survey him quickly with concerned eyes.

“I am not worried,” Harry protested, but Edward saw through the lie in an instant. Instead of calling him out for it, he just offered a small smile and held out a hand for Harry so he could lead him back to the couch.

“Well regardless, I’m here now,” Edward said smoothly as he pulled Harry down to sit with him, wrapping a blanket across Harry’s shoulders so he wouldn’t be too chilled.

“You better not have cut your trip short for me, Edward Cullen,” Harry threatened. 

“I didn’t, I had plenty of mountain lions,” he promised, quirking a grin at the relieved smile that came across Harry’s face upon hearing that. What a curious little thing his human was.

“Hmm,” Harry just hummed at that and snuggled deeper into the blanket, finding that his sleepiness was quickly overtaking him now that he knew Edward was with him. Stubbornly, he forced his eyes to remain open, but Edward seemed to understand what he was doing because not even a second later he found himself sitting on his bed. 

“Hey!” He grumbled but Edward simply shushed him and pushed him down under the already pulled back covers. 

“I’ll watch over you,” the vampire promised quietly, watching as his human settled down into bed with an adorable pout still planted firmly on his lips. 

“I don’t need you to -“

“ - I want to,” Edward interrupted with an affectionate, albeit exasperated, smile, “Now go to bed, you stubborn little creature.”

Harry grumbled but obligingly snuggled under the sheets and exhaled a big sigh as he tried to release the day’s tension, finding it much easier to relax once Edward climbed behind him and took him in his arms.

Unfortunately, Harry’s peacefulness didn’t last long, and soon after falling asleep he found himself dreaming of the disturbingly familiar pictures that he had seen in his fathers office. 

Green trees passed by him quickly, surrounding him and appearing to almost converge upon him. Breath was being forced out of his lungs as he tried to run just a little faster, the awful feeling of being chased making the hair on the back of his neck rise and his legs pump just a little bit faster still.

He felt it getting closer and he made a break for the opening of the trees up ahead, only to stop in his tracks as he came upon the familiar body. The same one that was plastered over the sheriffs office in card-stock and flashing across every local news network along with the other bodies recently discovered. As he stared, the body slowly morphed into what had been haunting him all day. Instead of the long haired blonde woman lying prone on the floor, it was now his face staring back at him, eyes wide and empty as the recognized wounds covering his body slowly began to darken with blood.

Harry didn’t realize he was awake again until he heard Edward’s voice in his ear gently shushing him as a hand carded through his hair, bushing out the tangles that had recently accrued and smoothing the frown lines on his forehead.

“Are you okay?” 

Harry just stared up at him owlishly before grimacing and shaking his head slightly. “Just a nightmare,” he answered quietly.

“You mentioned a picture?” Edward questioned, expression still concerned even after Harry offered him as much of a smile as he could manage in that moment.

“I don’t really want to talk about it,” Harry sighed after a few more seconds of Edward staring silently at him. He sat up a bit more in bed and moved to lay his head on Edward’s shoulder, shivering in a mixture of cold and pleasure when Edward wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer.

“Alright,” Edward hummed.

They sat like that for a few more minutes, Harry simply lying there in Edward's arms and breathing in the lightly scented smell of the vampire, finding it was helping sooth the rest of the dream away. 

“The picture today just surprised me, I think,” Harry finally spoke up after a few more long seconds of silence. “James showed me a picture of one of the bodies.” Seeing Edward about to speak, Harry cut him off. “That’s now what bothered me. It was just…some of the stuff…” Harry hesitated before breaking off his sentence.

“What?” Edward urged.

“Just a lot of it looked familiar, okay?”

“Familiar?” Edward asked with furrowed eyebrows. His expressional abruptly light up with realization after a few seconds, only to darken immediately. “Familiar in what way?”

Harry cringed at the dark tone and looked at Edward from the corner of his eye. “I think we both know how.”

Edward growled lowly and tightened his arm to pull Harry closer to his body as if he could shield Harry from his past. “I’ll kill him.”

“I’m more curious about who killed her,” the raven-haired boy admitted before resting his head on Edwards shoulder and blowing out a lengthy sigh. “I would suggest going back to bed, but you don’t sleep and I can’t sleep,” he admitted.

“And I would suggest you try anyways, but I suppose it’s close enough to the morning,” Edward replied with a small grin playing around his lips.

“Well I suppose we’d better get ready for the day then, hmm,” Harry sighed and quickly glanced at his clock, seeing that Edward was right and it was nearing 5am. Undoubtedly still early, but late enough that he could justify just getting up and ready.

Edward rolled off the bed and met Harry by his side, pulling him in his arms. “I’ll pick you up around 7?”

Harry grimaced, “I guess so, partner. I’m not quite sure I’m ready for it to be Monday again though.”

Edward chuckled lowly and framed Harry’s face in his heads. “Me neither, partner,” he grinned and pressed a kiss to Harry’s forehead before stepping back towards the window. “Enjoy your shower,” he winked.

Harry shook his head in amusement as Edward vanished out the window, cheeks pink after the parting message. 

If Edward could blush, he would have had pink cheeks too after this parting message. Not because of embarrassment, but rather because of the enticing images that filled his mind. Those thoughts occupied his mind while he ran home, reaching his house in a manner of seconds only to find a suspicious lack of family members greeting him as he walked through the front door.

He hummed thoughtfully and tried to listen for any movement before giving up and walking upstairs to his bedroom, intent on getting ready for school himself.

Instead, he opened up the door to his room and stopped in his tracks.

“Do you like it?!” Alice bounced up to Edward, grinning exuberantly, backed by Rosalie, Esme, and the rest of his family.

Edward stared speechlessly at the bed that had replaced his couch. “James is going to kill me.”

“What James doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Rosalie winked.

Edward was torn between being angry at his family for interfering or gleefully happy for their addition to his room. “Harry’s going to think -“

“- nothing of it.” Esme interrupted with as smug of an expression as a mother could have. “Besides, don’t you think that I don’t know you spend every night with him in his own room already.”

Alice and Rosalie snickered as Edward glared at them. Still though, he couldn’t help but hum appreciatively as he noticed the care they had taken while choosing the bedding. It didn’t matter much to him, but he appreciated the thought that went into making Harry comfortable. 

“The poor babe was afraid last night,” Esme murmured in a motherly tone. “Surely he would feel safer sleeping here.”

“I’m not even going to touch that bit of irony,” Edward shook his head and trailed his fingers over the soft comforter before walking over to the nightstand. As he got closer, he could see the girls exchange secret looks which only built his curiosity. Though when he opened up the drawer, he almost wished he hadn’t been so curious.

“Alice!” Edward hissed in embarrassment as he pulled out a bottle of lube that had been carefully placed inside the drawer, glaring at his siblings when they laughed at his discovery.

“It wasn’t me!” Alice sing-singed before pausing for a second as her mind wandered to the future. “But if you’re curious…”

“Don’t say another word,” Edward threatened, feeling embarrassment well up inside him at the knowledge that this discussion was happening right in front of his pseudo parents whiles singling laughed. The images flashing in Alice’s mind weren’t helping him hide his arousal either.

“I’m going on a hunting trip after school if anyone wants to join,” Emmett called out loudly, winking at Edward then laughing when the younger sibling just growled and threw a pillow at him. 

Unlike Edward, Harry’s morning was filled with a little less laughter. For one, he stubbed his toe walking into the bathroom and spent the new minute hopping on one foot and growling out curses. Then, his shower was abruptly cut short when he heard the front door opening and nearly had a heart attack in his speed to get out and dry off so he wouldn’t have to fight an intruder naked. It ended up just being his dad, but his mantra was always better safe than sorry.

By the time 7 rolled around, Harry had brushed his teeth twice, eaten breakfast, and two cups of morning coffee, and talked to his dad about the case for a solid few minutes. So by the time Edward’ Volvo rolled into his driveway, he was more than easy to actually start school.

“I don’t know how you do it,” Harry gave an overly dramatic sigh as he climbed into car. “I only woke up 2 hours early and I already feel bored with the day. How do you deal with having so much free time?”

Edward laughed and whipped his car into reverse, backing out of the driveway so quickly and smoothly Harry could only blink in awe. “My family has accumulated quite a collection of masters degrees if that tells you anything.”

“Mhhh,” Harry agreed with a small smile.

“So where’s your cup of morning coffee?’ Edward asked curiously, seeing that Harry’s hands were missing his always present thermos of coffee.

“I already had two cups this morning!” Harry groused. “I was just trying to kill the time, and I would’ve had another if I weren’t worried about having a caffeine overdose.”

“Smart choice,” Edward agreed, looking over to smile affectionately at his grumpy human.

Harry stared out the window as they pulled into the parking lot of Forks High School, seeing that they were early enough that there was hardly a car in the parking lot.

“Esme misses you,” Edward said in the following silence, smirking at the pleased look that came across Harry’s face. 

“She makes me miss my mum,” Harry said wistfully, smiling as he remembered the Cullen matriarch. “She’s a sweetheart. Can I come over after school?”

“I think everyone would enjoy that,” Edward agreed, trying not to think about why that might be. He knew that Emmett was going to have a field day when he brought Harry home. That was, if he didn’t take that impromptu hunting trip he volunteered for this morning.

“At least that will let me avoid Jacob and his dad for a bit longer if they decide to drop by the house today.”

At that, Edward turned into his seat to level Harry with a stern glare. “Speaking of that, Alice told me that she had a vision of you calling Jacob last night instead of me,” he said in a tone that bordered a growl. 

“Ah, well…” Harry rubbed the back of his neck and offered up a sheepish grin. “I didn’t want to bother you if you were hunting?”

“Next time you call me. It’s my job to protect you, not his.”

Harry raised an eyebrow at the overprotective tone but nevertheless agreed with a nod. “Sure thing, partner. Next time I fear being murdered, you will be the first person I call.”

Judging from the still present glare, Edward didn’t appreciate his humor, but Harry didn’t let that affect his bright grin. 

“I’d not let you out of my sight, but unfortunately we have different class schedules,” Edward grumbled but even his expression brightened at seeing Harry’s happiness. “I love you.”

“I love you more.”

“Don’t you start that,” Edward warned, laughing when Harry just scrunched his nose at him in defiance.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, I actually had this written out three weeks ago and thought I had uploaded it already...my bad. I hope you enjoy it though, we're starting to get more into the real plot!

Chapter 22  


“Jesus, you grow bigger every time I see you!” Harry exclaimed, shocked when Jacob stepped up to hug him brightly.

Rather than stopping by the Cullen’s right after school, Harry had figured it would probably be best to run home quickly just to see if his father was home and needed anything. As expected, he was gone and in his place were two all-too familiar figures.

“Are you sure you’re not taking steroids?” Harry said doubtfully as he took a few steps back and tilted his head to examine the other boy more closely.

“No, I’m just naturally this good looking,” Jacob winked.

Harry rolled his eyes and turned to face the elder tribal member, greeting him with a smile and a nod. “Any news?”

“None so far,” Sirius said solemnly and Harry felt cornered by the almost silver-like eyes of the elder. “Any news with you?”

Harry couldn’t quite pin it down, but every time he talked to Sirius Black he had a feeling that he was missing a part of the conversation. He tried not to let that nagging feeling bother him, though he did take a second to collect his thoughts.

“James has been spending some long hours at the station,” Sirius noted after a lack of response from the raven haired boy, “Is there any word on that new deputy? I remember there being some curious talk around town about him.”

Harry realized with some surprise that he had nearly forgotten about this new deputy, but he could somewhat recall seeing him around town these last few days. No specific memories, just the tail end of a police cruiser parked around town. Still though, it was definitely something he was going to ask James about. “To be honest, I’ve not heard much about him. I have seen his cruiser a few times around town this week though,” he answered, trying to keep his tone neutral to hide whatever trepidation he was feeling.

“Hmm,” Sirius murmured in a thoughtful tone that matched his frown. “Perhaps it isn’t such a wise idea for you to spend so much time alone at home,” he surveyed Harry for a few seconds, then as an afterthought mumbled something that suspiciously sounded like, “…or at the Cullen’s.”

Harry ignored the second comment, choosing instead to throw out an “I’m sure I’ll be fine,” in response to the concern.

Instead of Sirius, Harry was surprised when Jacob stepped in to argue. “I agree, it can be dangerous to stay at home alone. Especially if they want to target to police chief for any reason,” Jacob added before offered Harry a small grin. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem to stay the night at the reservation. For your safety, of course,” he winked.

Harry flushed at the wink and just stared speechless for the few milliseconds it took him to catch his thoughts. “That’s…uh very kind of you to offer, but I’ll be fine here.” He debated telling Jacob he had a boyfriend too, but knowing Sirius, that would just lead to more under-the-breath comments about the Cullens. He had no idea why the elder was so opposed to that family, but he wasn’t going to open up the conversation for any more negative comments.

“Anyways,” Harry began awkwardly in the following silence. “I just came here real quick to check in on the house. I see that it’s fine here, so I’ll just take my leave. Lock up on your way out if you’re staying a bit longer to wait for James.”

“See you later!” Jacob called out brightly, and Harry took a few seconds to be thankful the kid didn’t hug him again. He couldn’t be mad at the lad though, so he just gave him a smile in return and waved goodbye as he turned to walk out the door, closing it just in time to see Sirius nod his head at him.

“I swear…” Harry mumbled under his breath as he climbed inside his truck and started the engine. Those two were nice, but they were nosy, especially regarding his personal life. Still though, he supposed he ought to be thankful that James had someone in his life who are enough to check up on them and their house.

He fiddled with the radio, finally finding a classic country station to listen to as he drove the rest of the way to the Cullen’s house. He found the music helped him relax when driving, especially since he really hadn’t had much practice behind the wheel since Edward liked to drive everywhere.

He pulled into the Cullen’s driveway and turned off the engine, grinning brightly when Edward opened up his drivers door as soon as the engine cut off. “Well hello there,” he greeted warmly.

Edward held out a hand to help his human out of his car, smiling himself when Harry immediately nestled himself to his side. 

“I would’ve been here earlier but Sirius Black wanted to talk a bit,” Harry said vaguely as Edward lead him to the front door. “Is the rest of your family home?”

“They just left before you pulled up,” Edward tugged him through the door and lead him to the empty living room. “And I’m well aware of the Black’s invasiveness into your life. Next time they stop by, feel free to tell Jacob Black that his concern is appreciated, but I will handle any threats to your wellbeing.”

Edward’ tone was pleasant enough but Harry could see the swirling of aggression and annoyance just under the surface. 

“I’ll be sure to relay the message,” Harry said in response, flushing a bit at the knowledge that Edward had listened to their whole interaction. “Just how long exactly were you hiding in my front yard then?”

Edward’s lips twitched as he pulled Harry to sit next to him on the piano bench. “Just a bit,” he admitted as his hands start to play a few soft chords on the piano.

“Hmm,” Harry responded dubiously, though Edward successfully managed to divert his attention. “I didn’t know you could play.”

“I wrote this song for you,” Edward admitted as the tempo of the song picked up. HIs hands were moving gracefully across the keys, so quickly and gracefully that Harry was mesmerized by the movement. 

“It’s beautiful…” he murmured quickly, eyes so trained on Edward’s hands that he missed the loving gaze that was sent his way as the song slowly began to trickle to an end. 

“Esme loves to hear me play too,” Edward shared, smiling as Harry blinked a few times then turned to face him with an expression that was still somewhat awestruck. “I learned to play a few decades ago and haven’t stopped playing since.”

Harry giggled a bit. “How many keyboards did you accidentally break while learning?”

“A lot,” Edward answered a bit sheepishly as he helped Harry up and began to lead him upstairs. Harry’s giggling was like music to his ears, enough so that he couldn’t even find it in himself to be embarrassed at his lack of control. “I’ve gotten much better at controlling my strength,” he added as the ascended the steps.

“Hmm,” Harry hummed then turned to smirk at him suggestively. “You do have good control, I wonder what it would take to make some of that control crack?”

Edward groaned silently and shook his head, glaring half heartedly at the little minx. “I’ve come close to losing control a few times,” he admitted as he stopped them in front of his door. “Most notably when that child comes a bit too close to you,” he eyes darkened and flashed in annoyance, but Harry soothed the irritation with a quick kiss.

“Jacob or Cedric?”

“Now that I think about it, both,” Edward shook his head and took a breath to steady his growing anger. “Thought Cedric has backed off a bit. Jacob, however, has become increasingly more bothersome.” 

Edward had nearly come inside today when Harry had been talking to the Black’s, and only the knowledge of their weakening relations had stopped him. Harry was his territory, and while Jacob might not have understood that, Sirius Black certainly would have understood that he had claimed the human. There was no excuse for their continuous intervention in Harry’s life, and if it continued much longer he was going to bring the issue to Carlisle and the reservation.

Harry watched Edward for a few silent seconds, curious at what the Vampire was thinking so deeply about. After a few more seconds of watching those dark, unreadable eyes Harry playfully poked the vampire on the forehead. “Are we going to go inside your room at any point, partner?” He asked cheekily once Edward blinked and refocused on him.

“Yes…” Edward said hesitantly, wondering what Harry’s reaction was going to be when they stepped inside the the bed was revealed.

“Okay?” Harry tilted his head and stared inquisitively, but obligingly stepped forward once Edward opened the door for him and urged him through with a hand to the back. He took a step inside and Edward could feel his reaction in the tensing of his muscles.

“It’s not what you think,” Edward claimed as he stepped inside behind the human and wrapped his arms around his waist. “In fact, it was Alice and Esme’s idea.”

Harry stared at the large bed for a few seconds then turned in Edward’s arms to face him. “Oh, really?”

“Really,” Edward promised, leaning down to press a brief kiss to Harry’s nose. “Not that I argued much,” he admitted after with a bit of embarrassment. 

“Why?” Harry questioned as he stepped backwards out of their embrace and walked over to examine the bed. 

“We just figured that with you father spending so much time in the office you might want to spend the night here. As much as I…dislike Jacob’s suggestion, he was correct in thinking that it might be dangerous for you to spend so much time alone in your home. It would also make us all feel a bit more comfortable knowing that you’re protected at night.”

Harry could agree that Edward did have some valid points, but his main concern wasn’t that. “James is going to kill you, inhuman strength or not,” he chuckled before hopping on the bed and patting the spot next to him, grinning when Edward obligingly prowled closer to him and left up on the bed with catlike grace.

“Showoff,” he teased.

“Only for you.” Edward grasped the back of Harry’s neck gently and used it to pull the raven haired boy closer to he could kiss the smirk off his lips, laughing into the kiss when Harry tried to take control.

“This is much better than Jacob’s suggestion,” Harry grinned into the kiss, breaking away with a gasp when Edward growled at that and pushed Harry down onto the bed, making to metal frame squeak slightly.

“Mine,” Edward growled as he pressed a last, firm kiss against the soft lips then moved down to nuzzle the pale throat. He placed a possessive kiss near his vulnerable jugular and smirked when the action made Harry’s breath hitch and his body squirm in a delectable way.

“Yours,” Harry agreed, face flushed pink. Perhaps teasing his vampire hadn’t been the wisest choice…

“No one else,” Edward continued and Harry giggled at that, finding it amusing how focused Edward was on proving his claim. He playfully tugged the vampire’s brown trusses and tugged him up for another kiss.

“Of course,” he soothed.

“You’re mine, not Jacob’s” Edward said firmly, punctuating each sentence with a possessive kiss.

Harry was left flushed and panting after Edward finally pulled away, a self satisfied smirk planted firmly on his face as he watched the human try to get control of his breathing. Harry glared at him halfheartedly and leaned up on his elbows. “I was just teasing, you know Jacob didn’t mean anything by his suggestion,” Harry said with a fond smile once he had finally caught control again.

“On the contrary, I know exactly what he meant by it and it’s not as innocent as you’d like to believe.”

Harry tried to argue, but when he opened his mouth Edward cut him off by capturing his lips again and pressing Harry back down.

“Regardless of your beliefs, I’m not leaving it up to debate. He will know you’re mine.”

Harry giggled and allowed Edward to pin him down again by his wrists, moaning appreciatively when his neck was tilted to the side and a line of kisses was trained downwards. “And just how are you going to do that?” He asked teasingly.

His answer came in the form of a particularly firm bite to the tender skin of his neck, though Harry noticed that Edward still took care not to break his skin. A few seconds later, Harry knew exactly what the vampire had in mind. “Edward, no!” he moaned out, face flushing bright red in realization.

Edward smirked and worried at another spot, growling deeply in satisfaction as he watched the mark slowly blossom under his ministrations. “Mine,” he echoed again, though this time his tone held less frustration and more satisfaction.

“You are…incorrigible,” Harry signed but obligingly allowed Edward to continue, not wanting to admit that even while embarrassing, he was enjoying this too much to put a stop to it.

“I know,” Edward smiled and rolled over, pulling Harry on top of him. 

“You’re family is going to be back soon,” Harry commented as he nestled closer and rested his head on Edward’s chest.

“Don’t tell me you’re a seer now,” Edward said playfully.

Harry sat up at that, remembering something that had been bugging him the other day. “Speaking of seers, remember the night that Alice said she showed you some visions she was having?”

Edward frowned and also sat up, body terse as he nodded.

“Well, what was she seeing? You never answered me when I asked before,” Harry crossed his arms and stared demandingly at Edward who was doing everything in his power to avoid his gaze.

“It’s nothing really, she didn’t see anything specific,” Edward tried to pacify.

“What did she really see, be honest, Edward.”

Edward sighed and leaned back against the headboard, “She saw some concerning images that were centered around you hiding or looking at something.”

Harry grimaced and tried not to let his fear show on his face, knowing that it would only make Edward shut down. “She didn’t see anything or anyone else?”

“She can only see people who she knows or is looking for, therefore all of her visions are centered around you and she couldn’t see who you were hiding from,” Edward confessed, looking at Harry closely to make sure his human was fine after hearing that. 

Harry hummed thoughtfully then shook his head to clear out his dark thoughts. “And she can’t tell when these events will happen?”

“No, though her visions aren’t a guarantee. She can only see the future based off current decisions. Every time someone makes a choice or changes their mind, the future changes.”

Edward pulled Harry closer and placed a comforting kiss on the crown of his head. “I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you,” he promised after a few moments of silence. “I don’t want you to worry about this.”

Harry shook his head with a wry laugh, “Sure thing, partner.” There was absolutely no way he wasn’t going to be thinking about this, but he figured that wasn’t something he had to tell Edward. Harry snuggled closer to Edward and hummed sleepily, closing his eyes briefly just to rest them a bit. He was so content that he almost didn’t hear Edward’s question.

“So how’s your father been? Any news at all?”

“He’s busy, but not with any new information. I think they’re going back into old cases still to see if this might be a serial killer,” Harry answered sleepily. 

“Interesting,” Edward said thoughtfully. He needed to talk with Carlisle more about this case. Something wasn’t adding up, and while he wasn’t the type to claim supernatural origin so quickly, there was definitely more at play here than a simple serial killer that had wandered into town. Especially not with Alice’s concerning visions…

He reached down to card his fingers through Harry’s soft hair, grinning to himself despite his thoughts when he heard an almost purring noise coming from his little human. “Comfortable?” He smirked.

“Definitely,” Harry grinned in response, smiling against the cool stone of Edward’s chest. “You know, for a vampire, you make a pretty good pillow.”

“Unfortunately, this pillow is going to retire its use soon. You need dinner,” Edward reminded, though he couldn’t bring himself to move yet.

“No, thank you,” Harry grinned cheekily, “I’m quite fine here.”

Edward laughed at that and playfully flipped them over again soHarry was laying on the bed and he could get up, to which Harry mumbled out a “no fair!”

Edward seemed intent to ignore his complaints though, so with a big sigh, Harry struggled to roll off and stand from the bed, wincing when his wrist gave an interesting twinge. Curious at to what had caused his momentary pain, he looked down and found a small new bruise right next to the bone sticking out on his wrist. He frowned a bit, trying to think of when he would’ve gotten a bruise like that, before realizing that it must have been when Edward had pinned him by his wrists. For a brief second anxiety welled up inside him, but he managed to push those thoughts away rather quickly. Harry quickly pulled down his shirt to hide the small mark, knowing that Edward would be less than happy if he saw it, despite it being so small it was hardly worth a second glance.

“Are you ready?” Edward tilted his head and looked at Harry, who was still lingering by the bed. 

“Hmm?” Harry looked up and met Edward’s inquisitive eyes, “Oh yea, sorry!”

Edward stared at Harry for a few more seconds, finally tearing his eyes away as Harry started walking towards him.

It was only when Harry was reaching up to embrace him that Edward noticed a subtle flash of red on Harry’s wrist.

“What was that?” He asked, motioning to Harry’s arm.

“Nothing,” Harry defended a bit too quickly for Edward’s liking before looking down for a half second at his wrist. “There’s nothing there.”

Now that, Edward knew, was a bold-faced lie.

“Hey!” Harry yelped when Edward gently gripped his upper arm and pulled him closer so he could push up his sleeve, “You know, you’re supposed to ask first,” he grumbled.

Edward didn’t response, too busy staring horrified at Harry’s arm. “Did I do this?” He finally whispered.

Harry just rolled his eyes at that and halfheartedly tried to tug his arm away, which Edward allowed as soon as he registered Harry’s light tugging. 

“Don’t be dramatic, Edward, it’s just a small new bruise,” Harry argued, exasperated with how horrified Edward looked. Oliver had put him in the hospital numerous times and didn’t even look a fraction as worried when he did.

Seeing that his expression was still troubled, Harry finally sighed and wrapped his arms around Edward’s neck, shuffling as close as the vampire would allow. “Edward, it’s okay,” he soothed, “it’s just a little thing, and it’s not your fault.”

Edward refused to relax into the warm human embrace, feeling too disgusted with himself to accept the comfort. He had hurt his mate, bruised him…he was no better than the person Harry had left behind.

“I’m going to call Alice to beat some sense into you if you don’t stop feeling guilty,” Harry warned after a few more seconds of silence.

“I’m so sorry, Harry,” Edward pulled away so he could meet his mate’s eyes. “I truly never meant to hurt you.”

“You didn’t hurt me,” Harry argued stubbornly.

In response to that, Edward carefully captured Harry’s wrist and brought it to the middle of them so they could both see the bruise, in response to which Harry let out a noise that sounded suspiciously close to a growl. “You did not hurt me. This stuff happens, Edward, even with two humans. We bruise, and some people even like it. Besides, I don’t get what the difference is between this and the hickies, and you seemed totally for those,” Harry agued, voice rising in frustration as Edward refused to listen to his logic.

Despite the guilt still swirling around his head, Edward couldn’t help but grin at Harry’s vehement response. He looked adorable when he was angry, something which he would never admit to his little human. Still though, Harry had to understand… “It’s still inexcusable able for me to have left a mark. I didn’t mean to hold you down so fiercely.”

Harry narrowed his eyes and glared stubbornly at his vampire. “You. didn’t. hurt. me. Stop treating me like I’m broken,” and this time, Harry was embarrassed to feel tears building in the corner of his eyes. He hated it when people treated him like he was broken, and it’s why he hadn’t told anyone except Edward about Oliver. 

Edward felt panic rising within him at the sight of Harry’s emerald green eyes filling with tears. “I’m sorry,” he practically moaned, unsure of where to go from here. “I’m not meaning to treat you like you’re broken. This has nothing to do with your past and everything to do with the fact that it wasn’t very proper of me this hold you down in the first place.”

After a few seconds of contemplating what Edward had said, Harry let out a big sigh and deflated. “Alright fine, I can understand how it might have freaked you out a bit. But I want you to understand that it isn’t a bit deal. Humans gets bruised, sometimes for no good reason. Okay?” He pressed.

“Okay,” Edward murmured, still not pleased but at least understanding when Harry was coming from. If it were up to him, Harry would never get another bruise. Unfortunately, even he could see how impossible of a task that would be…especially when his little one seemed so hell bent on putting himself in dangerous positions in the first place. Like wandering Seattle alone, or going on night runs…

“What’cha thinking about now?”

“I don’t think you want to know,” Edward said wryly.

“Fair enough,” Harry smiled and rubbed his eyes to get rid of the last remnants of tears. He grabbed Edward’s hand and brought it up to his mouth so he could kiss his knuckles. “I suppose I better drive myself home now.”

“I could drive you and run home after.”

Harry narrowed his eyes at the offer, seriously contemplating it. “…you won’t make fun of my truck?”

“Why would I ever make fun of it? It’s a fantastic car, sturdy build, and classic interior,” Edward responded in a tone that, much as he tried, still sounded sarcastic. Harry didn’t mind though, at least this was better than before when he had outright called it a death trap.

“Fine, fine,” Harry agreed with a smirk, “You better get me home quick, Mr. Cullen, it isn’t proper for me to be seen out so late!” He tried his luck at an old fashioned American accent, but judging by the crinkles around Edward’s eyes, he wasn’t quite successful.

“I’m not sure I can be trusted to protect your virtue,” Edward hummed as he opened up the passenger door for Harry and helped him inside. “And if you were going for American, I think you might want to practice that accent, love.”

“I think I’ll stick with my own,” Harry agreed as he hopped in and shut his own door while Edward climbed in the drivers seat and started the car. “I wonder if James will be home…”

“Another late night at the office you think?” Edward asked as he pulled out and started driving along the familiar road. He wouldn’t even bother to look out the window if Harry weren’t in the car, but he knew his mate was unnecessarily afraid when his attention wasn’t on the road.

“Maybe, I don’t know. Haven’t really talked to him much.” Now that Harry thought about it, he really did miss his dad’s constant presence around the house. He hadn’t been able to have a silly TV show and hot chocolate night in awhile. Stupid murders, ruining their family bonding.

“I’ll check up on you in a few hours then? I don’t want you alone tonight, if James is working late…”

“Sounds good,” Harry agreed. “I’m probably just going to get some homework done for a bit.”

Edward pulled into Harry’s driveway and put the car into park. “Be safe, yes? Call me if you need anything.”

Harry playfully rolled his eyes even as he stretched his body to give Edward a kiss. “As always.”

Edward turned off the engine and climbed out of the car quickly so he could meet Harry on his side. “I love you,” he murmured as he stepped forward and wrapped Harry in his arms, pressing one last kiss to his crown. He enjoyed their closeness for a few more seconds before regretfully stepping away, saying his goodbyes, and walking into the greenery that bordered his yard.

Harry watched Edward until his figure was all but swallowed up by the forest, and only then did he turn around and walk to his front door. Silence met him as he unlocked the door and stepped foot inside the house, only cementing the feeling of loneliness and loss that he had been feeling early when thinking about his father’s late hours at the office. There wasn’t much to be done about it, unfortunately, so instead of focusing on the negative, Harry simply dropped his jacket on the hook and walked the couch, only to freeze in shock and horror.

All across the room were pictures strewn across the floor and couches, the same one that had haunted his dream. He had the feeling that if he were to walk around and explore, he would see the same thing in every other room, but that thought was too terrifying to develop any further. Instead, he merely backed out of the room, and turned to the door, all but fleeing the scene, not even bothering to lock the door behind him.

Even his truck didn’t feel too safe, but the faint smell of Edward still lingered on the seat leather and gave him confidence to use his frozen fingers to dial Edward’s number.

“Harry?” His call went through and cut immediately to Edward’s concerned voice answering the call. “Is everything okay?”

That question was enough to make Harry start to shake and tear up. There were dozens of pictures of dead girls all around his house, and nothing about that was okay. “No,” he sniffled, half still terrified and half ashamed of how he was reacting.

“I’m on my way, okay? Don’t move,” Edward urged, and Harry sniffled out something that was supposed to be an agreement. It didn’t matter anyways though, because as soon as Edward had said it, he had hung up the phone, leaving Harry alone.


End file.
